Dear Mom,
Last week was about Ray Bradbury’s ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING, and the afternoon you and I tried “dime writing” in the library.
This week is inspired by George Eliot. No, this writer was not a man, but a woman. Mary Ann Evans (1819-1880) was an important English novelist and journalist of the Victorian era. Two of her best known novels are SILAS MARNER and MIDDLEMARCH. She used a male pen name to be sure that her work would be taken seriously.
In the past decade one of her quotes has become very popular. “It is never too late to be what you might have been” appears on posters, tee-shirts and greeting cards, and is referred to in inspirational books and sermons.
At this stage in my life, I’m in the uniquely wonderful position of simultaneously learning from my mother, my daughter, and my grandchildren. If I ask your great-grandchildren what they want to do and be, the answer will vary from day to day, from school days to weekends, and will depend on the season and which sports they’re playing. When you’re a pair of busy, happy children, one in third grade and the other in second grade, anything is possible. Life if full of dreams and opportunities. The world is your oyster, though you’d scrunch up your face and make gagging noises at the word oyster.
Years ago, when I read you the quote ”It’s never too late to be what you might have been,” you gave a little shrug and smiled. You said that being old wasn’t holding you back; you were being what you wanted to be.
That is a wonderful attitude, Mom. If I thought you’d wear it, I’d have a tee-shirt made for you: “I’m Who I Want To Be.” Or, to sum up who you’ve always been and the loving influence you’ve had on me, I’d have another of George Eliot’s quotes printed for you: “Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.”
Thank you, Mom.
Love, Marylin
Things I Want To Tell My Mother 