"Grandmothering" by Patricia Joslin
– mothering is a life-long mission
Watching your child give birth to a child is a blessing, and a challenge as well to “travel lightly.”
Patricia Joslin is a retired educator, grandmother to three active boys under the age of six. As a young girl she dreamt of becoming a published writer. That dream is still alive; she hopes that her poetry and essays resonate with readers in some magical way. She is currently working on a collection, reflections on life after loss. Her story, “Flying South” appeared in the 2020 Personal Story Publishing Project, That Southern Thing. Patricia lives in Charlotte, North Carolina where she is a member of Charlotte Writers Club and Charlotte Center for Literary Arts.
Author’s Talk
Patricia Joslin
The only private place in the tiny, crowded house of my growing-up years was a stuffy, dusty-smelling attic space under the eaves that I shared with Christmas decorations and baby furniture awaiting the arrival of brother number three. I crawled into that hideout with a flashlight and pillow whenever I wanted to read or write, careful not to look behind the overstuffed boxes piled high in the dark.
Now, over sixty years later, that inner dream of becoming a writer is still alive. My home office space is a cocoon, just as the crawlspace under the eaves was a refuge to that young girl. The light from the office window to my right is filtered through colored glass bottles collected over time. I listen to classical music. An abstract art piece - a modern depiction of the Eiffel Tower - adorns the wall above my bookcase. Creativity seeps into this space if I welcome it with kindness.
The essay “Grandmothering” was born out of the experience of watching my daughter become a mother. Her pregnancy, at age 40, was a time of deep joy as well as concern. I wanted to capture those moments in my writing, recognizing the universal feelings that women experience in birthing a child - the hope for good health for both mother and infant, the dreams for the unborn baby, and the reality of life’s challenges. For my daughter, the challenges went beyond sleepless nights and colic. Health issues surfaced soon after birth, but with clinical support and therapeutic interventions, my grandson thrives. I continue to be amazed at the intense love she showers on her child, and the hopeful patience with which this new mother, my only daughter, approaches life. She and her husband are preparing to parent a second child.
