“Women are in a constant state of awe 

and mourning our mothers

We fear them 

Revere them 

And hope they live forever 

Even the worst ones 

Because we think

Time will make mothers of us all 

Sturdy 

Unshakable mothers 

Who cradle death in their breast 

And cry alone 

We hope 

But they don’t 

So we live

In awe of their pain and beauty

Mourning the time not spent on their chest

Breathing in deeply the smell of their skin 

Falling asleep in their beds

In awe of how horribly we miss them

– Luna McConnell

This poem was written by the daughter of a dear friend, and we love how it so accurately captures the complexity of motherhood. We dedicate it to all of you mothers and mother-figures. You may feel like you’re in a thankless role, but the world would no doubt crumble in your absence. 

We hope you find joy inside the pages of this month’s issue. Our cover this month features the art of Brook Proctor and you can see her work May 10th from 4-8pm at Rogala Design. Thank you for continuing to read and support local. 

Your neighbors, 

Shaleen and Sam DeStefano