Monday, August 8, 2011

PHOTOGRAPHS FOR A MAGNIFICENT MONDAY: A MOTHER AND CHILD REUNION



Travel 365 is doing a Magnificent Monday  posting every Monday!! http://holesinmysoles.blogspot.com/2011/08/magnificent-monday-cycle-of-life.html This week is dedicated to the 'Cycle of Life'. I started wrapping my head around the concept and the best way for me to add to it, when Portia, writer of the wonderful site, http://me-abookworm.blogspot.com/ and I had a conversation. It was about war and the futility of hate and anger. 


Somehow those two thoughts started cohabiting in my mind and begat this post. Actually, it was a threesome with Paul Simon's singing," Mother and Child Reunion" in the background. You always need music when you're cohabiting or at least it helps!!! This song came out in 1972 and was Simon's reggae, Vietnam protest song. I always loved it and it's always there just lurking in my thoughts waiting to come out and this was one of those times. Maybe that's because we still have not learned the lessons of that period!! Now instead of 'Old men sending young men to war', we have 'Old people sending young men and women to war.'  We've come a long way baby!!! 


So for this post, listen to Simon's lament, "But the mother and child reunion is only a motion away." Look at my images of young and old. Not just the people of the world but of the animal world. We are all part of this and we will all suffer if the people of the world do not stop killing each other in the name of peace and love of country! 


                   This first image is Melissa and her mom!













                This next image is Alpana and her daughter.

 http://motifsonthewall.blogspot.com/2011/08/life.html
                             



This next image is Kriti and her daughter
http://kriti-howaboutthis.blogspot.com/



     We will all lose and the 'Cycle of Life' will grow smaller and 
     smaller if we do not change our ways. We have had too many 
     mothers staring out at the sea waiting for solders that will not 
     becoming home. When will we stop?







23 comments:

Kriti said...

What a fantastic post! That picture of the mother staring out to the sea gives me a deathly pang. This is a real shout out - thank you Jim for the post and for making me and Agni a part of it.

Alpana Jaiswal said...

There is nothing in life that approximates the mother-daughter relationship. A mother teaches her daughter to be a woman. She passes on the joy of family, of relationships, of being a woman and making a purposeful mark on the world. A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path. Every picture here is a beauty on its own,you made me cry today Jim...thank u so much,God bless u always.

Cathy Sweeney said...

So well-said -- there's not a thing I could add. Your photos are very touching. Thanks for the song, too. I remember it very well.

Debi said...

Wow, that was wonderful! Mother-daughter relationships are the most precious. Don't know if you got to read my poem for my daughters but it is on my blog. Last week was daughters week.

Finding One's Way said...

Jim,

Powerful, you are fantastic at catching those beautiful moments that people will treasure for a life time.

xoxox
Jess

Rimly said...

Your photos say it all. Nothing compares to the bond that a mother has with her child and when that mother loses her child...I cannot even bear to think of the pain. Touched my heart Jim.

photos by jan said...

Fantastic post. Love the words, just perfect, photos fantastic.

Larry Lewis said...

Loved this post, particularly seeing such wonderful pictures and one of my favourite on line ladies. Being someone that has gone on the journey you are talking of, and returning, i would love to believe tht the day will come when this world knows only peace and community

Bec Owen said...

What a lovely post, Jim...I love how you tied the song in with the photos. And I also love the photos themselves...they capture the loving bond between mother and child so beautifully. Heartwarming moments!

Healing Morning said...

Remember Tommy James's "Sweet Cherry Wine"? It's from the same era, and was written for the same reasons that "Mother & child reunion" was. Both songs resonate strongly, particularly to those of us here in the U.S. following the helicopter accident where 38 soldiers perished. Senseless and beyond words how sad it is. I don't have any solutions as to how to stop this heart wrenching cycle. I will say that I enjoyed your post, photos and thoughts on the topic.

~ Dawn

Jim said...

Wow what a post! Excellent! I'm thrilled to see that the Magnificent Monday that we kicked off with this week's theme being 'Cycle of Life' has inspired such a wonderful article JIM!
What are you going to come up with for next week's theme - "I love...."?

The IT Reporter said...

Some really nice shots in here. Good work.

Hint: The link to post a comment isn't very obvious.

Savira Gupta said...

The relationship between mother and child is mysterious yet filled with unconditional love. Not to take away from father and child as well.
Beautiful shots

Anonymous said...

I just realized that I have heard that Paul Simon song a million times but never really listened to it. I liked all the photos but especially loved seeing my beautiful friends Kriti and Alpana with their daughters.

lakwatsera de primera said...

This is a very touching post jim, just the photos already convey that raw bond between a mother and her child.

cathy jones said...

Absolutely true, everything you say is spot on Jim. I love the mix of music and photos. Powerful words friend, would that the powers that be might hear. Thanks for the wonderful post!
cath xo

Mari Sterling Wilbur said...

Wow! All stunning!!

Nelieta said...

Fantastic post Jim! The mother-daughter relationship is one of the most beautiful but also one of the most complex.

Melissa Tandoc said...

I adore every image you've posted Jim and the theme you have chosen is so...magnificent indeed... The relationship between a mother and her child is incomparable.

I liked how you've interspersed the animals in between the human images...I was able to appreciate how we come so close to them in many things.

I particularly adored the second to the last image...it's very very tender...

I liked your reflections in the cycle of life...I'm never for war... I haven't experienced any at my age...but I saw the scars war has left in my country and in others particularly at Vietnam and Iraq. I wish there could be more than just peaceful tolerance...I pray for peace in every man's heart and contentment.

A plus factor is the song... we've definitely come a long way...

but I pray for that particular day... I wish... I imagine...

Thanks for posting mom's image. She's the best gift God has given me ;)

BlogNostics said...

Love is the only solution.And it is best conveyed in the relationship you have just explored Jim.

A truly great post!

Corinne Rodrigues said...

What a great post, Jim. I love Paul Simon's lyrics - some of the best I always think. I love the way you weaved this post together - the video/lyrics and those stunning photographs, brought your powerful message through so brilliantly.

Tameka said...

What a wonderful sentiment accentuated by lovely pics of moms and daughters and people and animals shown in their best light. We must hold each other tighter Jim. Thanks for this statement!

photos by jan said...

Absolutely stunning photos and beautiful words to match. What a beautiful heart you have and the ability to express it.