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A Lineage of Lighthouses

The story of my mothers

By Maria Maung Published 3 years ago 3 min read
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In my life I have come to understand the many depths of a mother's love for a daughter.

Sometimes it's about looking in a mirror and trying to shape a better future, it can also be an act of guidance through a right of passage. At it's very best, a mother's love is the sanctuary for a special part of you to be exactly what it needs to be in a complete state of vulnerability.

The complexity of maternal love is both nourishing and galvanising.

Love was first defined for me in my grandmother's arms. I have never felt more free to discover who I am, than with her unconditional love to nurture me. We are kindred spirits, the language of our hearts are one and the same.

As our matriarch, she teaches me what it means to be a woman of integrity. The epitome of grace and strength, her wise and regal guidance extends beyond our household to the people of the small Burmese village where I spent my early life. In creating a home, a shelter, a place for celebration, a space for congregation, she became not only the heart of a family, but a whole community.

By knowing the fullness of who she is, my grandmother sees clearly, listens carefully and loves without judgement. Her natural state is one of unwavering peace and harmony, simply because she accepts people as they are and encourages who they wish to be.

Courage was my mother's gift to me. Her heart so filled with fire, she taught me how to step into the unknown and fight fiercely for the things that matter. Sometimes I would get caught up in the crossfire of her internal battles, but this too was a valuable lesson on how to become a warrior.

Her greatest victory came from her sheer determination to re-build a life in a foreign world. A fish out of water, she learned how to fly beyond her fears. Under her wings I was protected, but also pushed to soar as high as my aspirations took me.

I lost her when I was 14 . In the grief, I consoled myself with the hope that a life lived with such passion and velocity reaches tranquility in its end. As a fledgling I took what I had learned to face a future without her and consciously raised myself into the woman I wanted to be. Although she has passed, I take comfort in knowing that the best qualities of her live on as part of my identity.

The courage to love without restraint, to live brazenly, to bravely confront and move through worlds, while creating new ones, is my mother's legacy.

Liberty is the cornerstone on which my Aunty has built her life. She is the culmination of both my grandmother's and my mother's love. Raised by the same two women, but crafted by her own hand, she taught me the value of learning how to write my own story.

Never allowing herself to be a victim of circumstance, an advocate of equanimity, she has shown me that in any situation you always have a choice. But more importantly, the compass of your character can guide you to a better state of being, if you have the sense to tune it.

Her love comes in the form of firm but fairness, clarity of sight, soundness of mind, followed by a gentle nudge to get things moving. She seeks to empower the woman I am and chooses to walk by my side. To equip me with the insight to free myself rather than to wait to be rescued and for that, she will always be my hero.

As I reflect on the brilliance of these powerful women and the pearls of wisdom they have imparted, I realise the profound value of these heirlooms I have inherited.

I hope to always honour them in the way I contribute to the lives I encounter, and in the way I choose to live my own.

humanity
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About the Creator

Maria Maung

A Sydney based creative.

Working as a stylist and editor.

Personal expressions through painting, writing, food and fashion.

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