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The web site Travel Savvy Mom (one of my favorites both for its travel recommendations and the wonderful writing you’ll find there) is running a terrific series of posts this week in honor of Mother’s Day called “Before We Were Moms.” The idea is for the writers there to share stories of how their mothers shaped them as travelers. I did that myself (coincidentally) last week on the anniversary of my mother’s death and for today, I really wanted to find a photograph that came from my travels with my mother. Preferably one that had her in it.
Here’s the thing though: my mom didn’t take pictures! I don’t think she even owned a camera, ever. Now she was an artist who was continually sketching, but she didn’t sketch herself and actually didn’t draw me and my sister that often either. So my choices are very limited.
What I did find was this picture of me (on the left) and my sister Sheila taken from the biggest trip we took with our mother – nine months in Italy. My mom was studying art at Studio Art Centers International and so Sheila and I spent a good part of each day hanging around the classrooms and studios playing after school.
We were bored one day, and so one of the students took it upon herself to teach us about textiles. One thing led to another, and Sheila and I ended up batiking and sewing the puppets in the picture, which were actually hung up as part of the students’ end-of-semester show. I still have mine, wrapped in tissue paper and put away in my keepsake trunk. It is named Stephanie, in honor of the young woman who helped in its creation. You can see her below between me and my sister. I think the puppet is not a bad likeness actually. On the back of this photo my mother wrote: “Kids, Stephanie, & Marchese – Art Show SACI 1980 Studio.” I have no idea now who the Marchese was, but she is certainly elegant in a jolie-laide sort of way.
I’ll never forget walking through the huge wooden door into the art school (which at that time was right up the street from the Piazza San Lorenzo and also an easy walk from the Duomo) and inhaling that scent of turpentine and gesso and age. Someone would be smoking and lounging on the ratty sofas, always. The Rolling Stones played on cassette. My mother, thin and distracted, sat at her easel and painted her pain on huge canvases while everyone around her kept a respectful distance. And Sheila and I danced and sang and pretended we were princesses and went to the corner bar for ice cream and made puppets. Sometimes I think I learned everything I now know about creativity and madness and angst and joy in those nine months.
The picture above, taken somewhere in Florence by my sister on goodness-knows-whose camera, is the only one I have of my mom and me on our journey. I didn’t really feel like it deserved to be the main attraction in this post, since it’s so blurry and random and off-center, but then again, maybe that’s actually appropriate.
For Photo Friday at Delicious Baby. Please visit to see all of the other great photos. And don’t forget to trot over to Travel Savvy Mom for a look-see too!
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18 Responses to “Florence, Italy 1980”
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Mara, I just love this post. I love the story of your trip to Florence – it has really hit me in a deep place, and I’ve been thinking about it off and on since you posted the story last week. The photos are the finishing touch here.
Another great post. The photos are really adding that extra dimension. Nice work!
Lovely story about Florence, and I like the composition of the photo of you and your mom.
Another very moving piece. Love that you have the old family pics from that trip. And love all of the tactile details in this post. Wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day. I know your mother would be proud of you and would be so happy to see your boys traveling the world as she did with you and your sister.
Lucia’s last blog post..Family Art
What a crazy time that was! I didn’t know that even a single photo existed of Mom from that time…and its only a little blurry, off center and not at all random. If it was random it would be a photo of my nostrils…I have many photos of our boys’ nostrils. Happy Mother’s Day
Thanks for sharing this great story. I have enjoyed reading the posts about you and your mother. Have a happy Mother’s Day!
Jen’s last blog post..The Southern Magnolias are bloomin’, y’all!!!
Well, I knew I would love this post, and I was right. What different travel experiences we had! My mom takes no fewer than 1,000 photos on every trip (many of which are painfully–and repetitiously–posed, and then those poses held and held).
You know what struck me first about your so-called random, blurry photo? You look so happy.
Happy Mother’s Day Mara. Your kids are lucky to have you.
jamie’s last blog post..Just A Little Push
The best memories are often a little blurry and off-center, so why shouldn’t the photos be as well?
This is a beautiful post. Your mom sounds like one heck of a great woman!
Rebecca’s last blog post..Just A Little Push
I love this story about your mom, you must miss her so much.
Peace
What a beautiful post. Perfect for Mother’s Day! I am always behind the camera, but need to try putting myself in front more often…and standing up straight
-Bridget
Bridget’s last blog post..Photo Friday:Butchart in Bloom (Victoria, BC)
What a great story and perfect for Mother’s Day!
Amy @ The Q Family’s last blog post..Photo Friday: Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC
Thanks for sharing these once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It’s motivational, because childhood creativity seemed so natural back then, and as time passes, it’s becoming more of a struggle to offer these open-ended experiences for our children. Wonderful story & photos.
Lorraine’s last blog post..Mexico City
You Rock! Love you & Happy Mother’s Day
Lovely story, Mara. My mom rarely took pictures, too. There are few of me after the age of 5 or so, and even fewer of her. Sometimes I’ll go to a relative’s house who has lots of family photos around and I’m surprised to see what I looked like as a kid at a given stage. (school photos don’t seem to be a reliable indicator).
Off to read your piece about what your mom taught you about travel…
Meagan Francis’s last blog post..Gifts from my mother…
What a great set of memories you have of your Italian sojourn and your Mom. Thanks for sharing!
Dominique’s last blog post..Photo Friday
Thanks for sharing all the love everyone – I hope you all had a wonderful Mother’s Day.
I can only hope that, one day, my daughter would think of me and appreciate me and love me the same way you and your sister do with her. Your mom is so very beautiful, I swear, Mara…you are making me cry.
jen laceda’s last blog post..Hallucinations and Le Shopping in Le Souk
[...] sometimes even I forget that fact. No, first I was a kid who traveled not too much (except that year in Italy), then an adolescent and young adult who got around a bit, finally someone who was gainfully [...]