As the warm season of spring arrives in March, ushering in sights of new growth and renewal, we also mark the beginning of Women's History Month. This festive occasion celebrates the innumerable contributions of women throughout history. Among life's grandest endeavors is motherhood - nurturing new life with compassion and care deserves perpetual honor and gratitude.
This year, we have the pleasure of conversing with Lorna Kelleher, a gifted self-taught artist from Ireland, about her insights on motherhood's transformative journey. Willing to openly reflect on her experience, Lorna illuminates both the challenges and rewards of this profound role.
Complex feelings
Lorna mentions feeling a complexity of emotions after becoming a mother. While finding deep fulfillment in caring for her children, she also battles unwarranted guilt when doubting her efforts are ever sufficient. "It's made me both the strongest and weakest person I could be simultaneously," she says, aware of emotions ranging from the heights of joy to depths of sadness alongside her offspring's highs and lows.
Resilience
Motherhood cultivates resilience, a quality Lorna has come to admire through reflecting on her own mom's support. "I would not know if I would be so appreciated and understood if not becoming a mother myself," she notes. Seeing her mom persevere through personal struggles while prioritizing her well-being helps Lorna grasp a mother's fortitude.
Art as self-caring and bond
Art serves as Lorna's outlet for releasing burdens and a bond she shares with her kids. Finding solace in creative expression helps her cope. "My children also love to draw," she says fondly. She hope art becomes a lifelong shared passion as they journey together into the future. Lorna's motherhood experience has profoundly enriched her life while testing her inner strength. Art nourishes her spirit and brings her family together.
This month, let us celebrate mothers - those nurturing figures who give us life and surround us with unconditional care, though the work itself does not define one's womanhood. All ladies deserve to feel empowered for who they are.
