Naleighna Kai's Literary Cafe Magazine NK Literary Cafe 2018 Mother's Day Issue | Page 8

Zora’s Den
Victoria Kennedy
My mother is the fourth of eight daughters. Upon my birth, she gave me two very valuable gifts–
her unconditional love and at least six surrogate mothers. Their love for me was also generous and
unselfish. Everything I learned about womanhood came from all eight of them.
I learned the importance of family and how much we should lean on each other through celebrations
and through trials. I learned the beauty of carrying babies together and the importance of discovery,
as we went along the path of becoming mothers and friends.
They taught me how to be a good friend, when to keep secrets, when to keep my lips closed and
my ears open, and to be emotionally available. They taught me how to be outspoken without being
offensive, but also the art of saying what I mean and meaning what I say. They showed me how to
stand up for myself and to protect those I love.
By watching them, I learned how to be a good example for my children, while encouraging their
own identities. They taught me how to be loyal and how to love – after the fights, the arguments,
8 | NKLC Magazine