When I Think of Love …

Carol A. Hand

When I read poetry that speaks of soul-deep love
I wonder if there’s something wrong with me.
When I think back, it’s not romantic love that touches me most deeply.
It’s a mother’s love for a daughter.

Jnana & me

Photo: Minnesota State Park – Fall 2011

We have lived through many challenging times
in more states than I can remember,
ridden horses together on Haleakala
and traveled by ferry to Madeline Island,
one of the ancestral homes of the Anishinaabeg
where we saw a magical epeaturstrich.

horse 4

Photo: Haleakala, Maui – Fall 1998

When I think of enduring love, dear daughter,
I think of you and the words of an old song.

215603_200818563289593_100000843525245_502492_8215608_n

Photo: Turners Falls, Massachusetts – Summer 1974

Of all the people and places I remember fondly,
“In my life – I love you more.”

(for my beloved daughter, Jnana)

Video Credit: Emi Fujita, singing the Beatles song “In my life”

Copyright Notice: © Carol A. Hand and carolahand, 2013-2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Carol A. Hand and carolahand with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

22 thoughts on “When I Think of Love …”

  1. Hi Carol-
    I agree with you- for me it is love for your children:-) What a beautiful post + it has been a long time since I have stopped by-just been down under and trying to play catch-up. I am glad, I stopped by today:-) I thought of you when my husband and I were watching “arial america” and it talked about all you told us with what they did to the land and people over the entire United States:-(
    Happy Spring to you Carol-I will be back more often now that things are planted and people have their plants I helped them with this past spring:-)

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    1. Robbie, it’s so good to hear from you! I have also been busy trying to plant gardens and have missed your posts along with many others. I hope to catch up soon, but I still have so much more yard clean-up work to do. I do look forward to checking out what you have been doing – I always learn so much from you blog.

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      1. talk about yard clean-up, I am in the dirt but loving every minute:-) It passes so quickly and time for catch-up when we all have time inside trying to keep warm:-)

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        1. Yes, I agree Robbie. (There is a reason why Ojibwe people traditionally only told stories when there was snow on the ground – and here it does usually last sooo long 🙂 )

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  3. Beautiful, Carol. It is very true – as a mother, it is hard to imagine any love deeper or more enduring than the love for our children. And, although everyone fusses about mothers & sons, I think mothers & daughters have a particularly special, if highly complex, bond. Of course I have two daughters and no sons, so I may be biased…

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    1. Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments, Carol. I only have one daughter, so it was easy to honestly say she was my favorite. (I also have a favorite grandson, and a favorite granddaughter.)

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  5. Your words and essays help us move from the shallow waters into the deep waters of cultural appropriation, hegemony and marginalization that this nation was built upon. It is no surprise that the well the love for your family flows from is just as deep. This is one of my favorite songs as well, Carol.

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    1. Thank you for seeing issues more deeply, Jeff, and for your always kind and thought-provoking comments. (And I chose this artist because she conveys deeper emotions than other versions, at least from my perspective.)

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  8. Is that your daughter? You have a beautiful daughter! I suppose there are different types of love and we experience them at different junctures in life. Great friendships to me are great love.

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    1. Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments. Yes, this is my favorite (and only) daughter, Jnana, and she is beautiful and kind. I agree, Shery – there are many kinds of great love and all make the world a better place 🙂

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