The morning glory flower is a sun-seeking flower, opening to greet the world each morning as the blossom reaches for the sun and its warmth. In many cultures, it’s known to symbolize a deep love, but it also represents life and death and their interconnectedness.

The short life span of the flower, opening in the morning and meeting its death at night may seem hopeless, but it is a true representation of resilience. The morning glory embodies an infinite love, reflecting the relationship of life and death, and a resilience to continue forth each day.

In 2021, we lost my dad suddenly to pancreatic cancer. The three short weeks between diagnosis and his death was a time filled with hope, fear, longing, gratitude, and immense loss. In an attempt to bring my mom some hope and keeping my own head above water, I began writing her short notes of encouragement for her to read when she woke each morning. It was a tiny gesture but gave me moments of strength and encouragement during a hopeless time, and I’d hoped it would bring her the same.

Since losing my father, I have continued this tradition and have been writing her daily notes for a little over 2.5 years.

These notes serve as her morning/mourning glory, something regardless of pain or circumstances, she can use to start each day with a note of love and appreciation and a reminder to honor my father’s death by living life.

My mom has always been good at living life- she was a surfer girl in her teens, began roller skating at 50, sings in a community choir, is a synchronized swimmer, and even joined a band after my dad died. In as many ways as I’d hoped to help her find joy with these notes, they were my reminder to always live life, try new things, and dare to find joy the way my mom always has. This daily ritual has been my small way to navigate grief and try to support her in hers as well as my own. Though a small note could never resolve our greatest loss, it could bring us each a moment of comfort and hope during an impossibly difficult time.

This space explores finding ways to cope in times of great loss while sharing a unique experience between mother and daughter. Creating community for the grievers that celebrates how we survive and carry on, seeking joy along the way, even when we feel like we don’t want to. I hope that by sharing our unique story, I can help support others who’ve suffered loss that also seek to find a community of fellow grievers.