Saturday Snapshots (special Mother’s Day edition) – May 8, 2010

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother." ~ Abraham Lincoln

{There is a strong sense of wisdom that radiates from this graceful mother’s eyes, as her beautiful young daughter (complete with adorable bow in her hair) stands alongside her mom while they pose for a studio portrait. I think the fact that the little girl is looking off to the side a bit as her mother stares straight ahead adds a sincere element of interest to this wonderful vintage photo.}



{The passing of time has zapped some of the colour from this photo, but the core images of a mother and her two young children remains steadfast. What jumped out at me about this shot is the painted portrait on the wall behind the family. It looks as though it could be of woman herself or perhaps of her own mother; either way it creates a striking “image within an image”, and leaves me wondering who the painting is of.}



{These six darling children, ordered by height, made my heart smile, for they reminded me of my both of maternal grandparents and their many siblings, who were young children the 20s and 30s, which is when I feel this endearing shot is from. I wonder if the mom of these kids went onto have further children, don’t you?}



{A phenomenally pregnant woman makes her way into a waiting car, as a woman in background peers on at her. Our mom-to-be here looks so gorgeous and content, as though she’s made inner peace with what will soon happen to her when the baby (or babies, I’d almost venture to guess given how big her bump is!) arrives. This woman, whose name is sadly not recorded, symbolizes all mothers across the ages, who continue to keep the human population going strong with their courageous act of bringing new life into this world.}



{Three generations of women Spanish women stand near the doorway of a very rustic home in this powerful snapshot from the 1940s. I’m struck most by the sharp difference between the young mom and her clad-in-black elderly mother, who seems all the more venerable with the young baby there as a juxtaposition between ages.}



{Sporting a vividly red coat, a mother, her older daughter and two young children play outside on a very snowy day in this vividly coloured 1950s photo, which has a certain idyllic Norman Rockwell quality to it.}



{A mom is surrounded by her five children of varying ages in this pretty portrait from 1955. I love how the sweet little child on her lap is holding onto a toy to help keep her from crying – it adds such a charming reminder of childhood to this classic family portrait.}



{Throughout history countless grandmothers have helped to raise their grandchildren, whether in the role as main parent or there to support their own children as they embark on the journey of parenthood. No background information is provided for this shot, but somehow that adds to it in a way, for this grandma and young child stand in as representations for all who have shared this special role before and after them.}



{Looking pretty enough to have hopped right out of the pages of a glossy 1950s magazine, this young mom and her daughter look positively beautiful in Easter Sunday finery.}



{Having a large number of kids was certainly not uncommon in days of yore, but a family of thirteen children stands out to me in any time period. Identified as the children of Wally and Bella, this baker’s dozen of adult kids (save for the one younger fellow on the right, who is clearly the baby of the family) are a beautiful reminder that no matter how old we get, our parents are always a fundamental part of our world.}

{All images above are from Flickr. To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective Flickr page.}


Few have ever been able to express profound thoughts so eloquently as Abraham Lincoln. His sentiments – rich with adoration and care for his mother – sum how precisely how I feel about my own dear mom as well.

Of course we’ve had our ups and downs over the years (what child hasn’t with their parents?), but I’ve been blessed since my first day of life to have had a mother who know how to raise me with care and devotion, respect and love. She held me close when I needed it and knew when to let me fly out into the world on my own. From my mother I learned how to be strong, how to defend myself, and how give my heart to others. She is grace and wisdom personified for me, and I truly believe that, like Abe, I owe what I am today to my wonderful mother.

To each woman out there who lives the profoundly important role of motherhood, thank you. Your smiles, your tears, your worries, your fears, your believes, your common sense, your style, your morals, your charm, and your ability to love all help to transform your children into the well-rounded adults of tomorrow.

Though many things, from fashion to music, social norms to architectural styles, change over the decades, there is nothing more timeless – or powerful – in this world than a mother’s love for her children. It is this love and the yielding spirit of motherhood that we celebrate and honour today.

Happiest Mother’s Day, everyone!