Am I Still a Daughter?

As I read all the National Daughter's Day posts on Facebook, I was forced to pause and reflect for a second. I felt weird, being that I have no daughters of my own, yet I love three little girls (my nieces) immensely.

I also felt weird that I have spent 41 years of my life being a committed daughter to my mom, who is now gone from my physical presence forever as of September 2nd.

Does her physical absence somehow make me less of a daughter because I don't have a mom anymore?

Strangely enough, I do feel like I’m not fully a daughter anymore. I feel that I lost a piece of my daughter status when she slipped away from my grasp the early morning of September 2nd. I feel that as a daughter… A good daughter… I should’ve been able to do more to save her from leaving forever. I should’ve been able to do something to help her live without the physical burden of chronic illness and disability. In a way, I feel that my daughter powers failed my mom. And so, she left me, without me being able to do a damn thing about it.

It makes me sad to feel this way. But I get better every single day.

When Mama left me, I embraced the guilt of her pain, sickness, and even death. I punished myself for not making her life better. All of my friends and family told me to not beat myself up. They reminded me of how much I’ve sacrificed for my mother. But even though I knew all that they were saying was indeed the truth, I still felt like I should’ve done more.

Today, I don’t feel as guilty. But even in my dissipating guilt, I don’t feel that I’m as much as a daughter as I was prior to September 2nd.

I don’t feel motherless or orphaned. I just don’t feel like a fully functioning daughter anymore.

It’s strange. I guess this is just grief in all of its vivid, less than delightful colors.

Join Me at my New Spot! WWW.Facebook.com/BradenSpeaks

Hey guys!
I haven't exactly fallen off the edge of the world wide web. I've only been absent here. Well, not really absent... My words and experiences are still here for anyone to read and reread as much as they would like. So, continue to enjoy my honest ramblings about my life and the disability I live with!
But if you're one of these folks that's looking for new content from me, I'd like to invite you to my public Facebook page. www.facebook.com/bradenspeaks
There you will find inspirational content and articles that will hopefully offer you some insight, encouragement, and resolve to keep moving, no matter how dark it is around you.
Also, I wanted to let you know that I'll be launching a new blog that will likely be more revealing than this one. I'll be addressing my mid-life crisis, blindness, dating, friendship, and career issues. Stay tuned!
Oh, and by the way... Articles from me on a rage of subjects are floating around on the world wide web. Last year, I started writing for a online news platform that publishes news and commentary on African American issues. Wish I could point you to a few, but I really need to get back to grading papers. If you're interested, just google my name: Angela L. Braden. A few of the nearly 200 articles will surely pop up.
Take care of yourself. And don't forget to follow me over at Facebook. I'd love to have you as my lovely guest. www.facebook.com/bradenspeaks
Smooches and well wishes!
Angela L. Braden