Mother's Day and Mary Cassatt
Mother's Day is a bit of a loaded holiday, and certainly an emotional one. From the joy (and exhaustion) of being a new mother on her first Mother's Day, as women we are always conscious of the other mothers we celebrate as well - our mothers and stepmothers, the women who have served as our surrogate mothers along life's path. For those who have experienced the loss of a mother or child, or the inability to have a child, the holiday can be difficult and saddening; a time to grieve anew each year. As I was ruminating on this earlier this week, my thoughts lit upon the artist Mary Cassatt. Although she never married or had a child of her own, she produced remarkably tender and honest depictions of mothers and children throughout her long career which are more remarkable than ever today.