My Mother
Words to describe Peg Murphy Hanagan: Grace, strength, humility, kindness, and above all else, love.
Two months ago, I asked my mother to articulate the main message of her life.
You Are Loved, Just For Existing
What is this powerful love that doesn’t require us to do anything, or be anything other than who we are, in all our messy glory? The closest thing on earth would be a mother’s love of her child, and it is a love some have had, and others not, but that we all both need and long for. It is the gift of deep acceptance for who we are.
Feeling Grateful
As I was about to write this message to all of you, I got up from the table where I had been sitting in pajamas with a dear friend and housemate, in this beautiful apartment on a cold November morning, the howl of the wind in the background, sacred music playing.
YOU ARE YOUR ANCESTOR’S WILDEST DREAMS
The desire for a happy family is a primal longing, which you are either in touch with, or have forsaken, because for some, it is too painful to want what they never had.
What Do You Stand For?
What do you really want in your relationship? With your children? Your work? What’s so important to you that you are willing to experience the discomfort of change. If you want intimacy, take a stand for it. If you want open and joyful relationships with your children, take a stand for that. If you want meaningful work, stick with it until you find it.
