Steely Motherly Love in the age of Covid

It’s Mother’s Day eve and I am watching an oldie but goodie, the 1989 film, `Steel Magnolias’. Anyone remember that sweet flick? It starred a bevy of talented actresses: Sally Fields, Julia Roberts, Olympia Dukakis, Shirley MacLaine, Darrel Hannah, and Dolly Parton.

No worries if you have not seen, or, heard of it. After all, it is a generational film made…. made a generation ago.

It came out in 1989, when Saturn was in Capricorn where it is now. Saturn’s cycle is every thirty years, meaning, the structure, social order and reality shifts during the two and half years that Saturn transits a particular sign. In 1989 the Berlin Wall tumbled down, and the first ever global positioning satellites were launched.

In 2020, Saturn is in Capricorn once again; a new world. 2020’s shift is all the more dramatic because now Saturn and Pluto, the planet of death and rebirth, are paired. Re-view the video made in January 2020,https://youtu.be/lo3q68PZLYc : Life as we know it is over.

Back to the movie! A good escape after all!

The main story theme of the film is female love; the strong supportive love between girlfriends, with the backstory of a complex relationship between mother (Sally Fields) daughter (Julia Roberts). The mother character (Fields) overprotects and controls her daughter (Roberts) with conflict resulting. It is a coming of `age’ story as the daughter gets married, gets pregnant, and (spoiler alert!) dies. Yes you may recall; a true tear-jerker!

When I originally saw `Steel Magnolias’ my beloved Mother had just died. A few months later my beautiful daughter Ariel was born. The tears I cried when I first saw the film flowed more from my reality than the film’s drama. My story was as sad.

Not a day has gone by, these thirty years, that I have not missed and honored my mother. She epitomized `unconditional love’ to me and my sisters. Gracious, brilliant, loving and kind she taught us well. She left far too soon. I have now outlived her by some four years.

As I reflect on Mother’s Day 2020, I am overwhelmed with life’s blessing.  I have two amazing children, family and friends and my work. As I write this, (morning now) Ariel is making me a special brunch; strawberry crepes, a recipe my Mother taught me. My daughter now epitomizes to me unconditional love that flows both ways. Many of you know of her beauty and objective accomplishments; She is beautiful gracious brilliant loving and kind.

Life goes on….As we navigate this new world triggered by a virus, I do believe that each of us in our own way are identifying `what truly matters.’ Maybe who `mothers’ us is not a Mom or a daughter. Maybe it is your beloved fur baby, or best friend, or lover or spouse. Love finds a way in the cracks of this world. During THIS transit of Saturn, this generational shift, we need to find our sustaining love, our `mothering love’, more than ever.

The film` Steel Magnolia ‘ was so named because it’s characters were all southern ladies, beautiful and gracious `magnolias’ ….with a steely resolve to `get through’ disappointment, conflict and yes even death. The core theme of the flick was the female, `motherly’ love between them all.

My wish for you as we all navigate this most limiting time is that you dig deep to discover the time when you experienced unconditional, nurturing and motherly love. During Saturn’s retrograde (this week) we may have to journey backwards in our mind to claim it. But recover it we must. The times call for a steely resolve of what truly matters.