A Love Eternal: XOXO from Heaven 1

My mother passed away unexpectedly on June 2, 2021. She was 61 years old. One of the first things I did after her funeral was draw her. It's the most personal way I know to honor her memory, and the best.

I completed this series as a triptych. The three pieces are a nod to the third anniversary of her passing. She died nine months after our wedding, and all of these drawings come from photos taken that day. They were some of my favorite photos of her, even before she passed.

Every year, the anniversary of her passing is such a brutal stretch emotionally, because it falls between Mother's Day and my birthday, June 26. Three days that bring reminders, one after another, that she's no longer here.

Our wedding day was one of the happiest days of my life. We got married in September 2020, at the height of the pandemic and all of the restrictions. Because my mother had COPD, she was at particularly high risk. That meant taking extra precautions, and it led us to an incredibly small, intimate ceremony. Counting the videographer, a saxophonist, and three friends who helped with logistics, there were 15 people in total. It may have been the best thing that could have happened, because it let all of us be present and intentional with the people who were there.

During the ceremony, our parents gave speeches: my mom, Audra's mom, and her father. My mother started hers by saying she never thought she'd see this day, because she almost died five years earlier.

My sister and I buried her in the dress she wore to my wedding. I'm so grateful she was here for such a special day, and that we made so many memories I can still hold on to. I'll keep honoring her in my artwork as best I can.