The Women Before Me
On this Mother’s Day weekend, I can’t help but reflect on the women in my direct line of ancestry that came before me and the legacies they left behind. They all came from humble beginnings when women wore mostly dresses, and career choices were limited. However, it isn’t what they “did” as a career but who they were—their essence. The qualities inside that made them who they were. It isn’t a title or necessarily a personal achievement that lives on; though that might make a great story, it’s who the person really was inside that lives on through others.
These women lived through so much. The Depression, countless wars, jobs, lost babies, lost husbands…the list goes on. Trials and tribulations-happiness and joy. They made sacrifices, mistakes, and good decisions too. It’s important to me that I not let any of that be in vain. That I try my best to live a life that would make them all proud.
As of January this year, all of my Grandmothers have now passed, and I am reminded that their legacy lives on through me. I reflect on them now more than when they were alive. I live with a deep knowledge that because of them, I exist. Because of them, I have an opportunity to live passionately, push boundaries, and achieve whatever success looks like to me.
As you look at the many photos, you’ll see where I came from. You’ll see the women in my heritage that make up the woman I am today. Little bits of their personalities reside in me.
I am a brilliant composition of all the women before me. Their legacies live on through me, and in that regard, they are always with me.
I AM an eternal romantic. That’s Lettie.
I AM feisty, outspoken. Quick temper, love to dance, and travel at a moment's notice. That’s Violet.
I AM spiritual, a dreamer. Love of music, and a healthy pinch of vanity. That’s Margaret.
I AM creative, a singer. Love of reading, writing and nature, and a great sense of humor…that’s Kathy.
At the moment, the female generation of this specific line ends with me because I have a son. An incredible son that I adore more than life itself. And interestingly enough, there are plenty of fragments of his “nana” in him. Love of photography, British Comedy, and unexpected quick wit, to name a few. Perhaps one day, when he has children, he’ll have a girl-another strong woman to surpass all the women before her and make us all proud to carry on our legacies. Not the legacies of what we did but rather who we were—our essence.
Scroll down for more photos.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Lettie Cunningham- Great Grandmother (Maternal)
Bertie Moore- Great Grandmother (Paternal Side)
Violet Lowe-Grandma (Paternal)
Margaret Cunningham Toth-Grandma (Maternal)
Kathy Toth Lowe-My mom and Diego’s Nana
Violet and Margaret holding a newborn Aleyna
Violet and Margaret with their Great Grandson Diego
Me with my Diego then and now.
Diego and his Nana Kathy.