THE ART OF LIVING THE ART OF LIVING THE ART OF LIVING

My Mother - My Inspiration

by Dre Pontbriand

My mother is one of those larger-than-life beings whose entrance into a room commands the attention of all. Although she is generally adorned in the brightest of colours and a 1000kilowattsmile, those who know her understand that her outward extravagance is but a pale reflection of the vastness of her heart.

Born in bright and bustling Mexico City, she came to Canada as a diplomat forty years ago. She had no intention on remaining here beyond the end date of her contract since the friendly North back then was not exactly welcoming to a woman of colour She missed the vibrancy and the warm embrace of her land, her people, her home Alas, the sparkling green eyes of a small-town French-Canadian man, my father, implored her to stay, and so Ottawa became her home, and the family grew

After giving birth to me though, her health deteriorated to such a point that she was unable to continue working For the independent woman who had worked multiple jobs from the age of 16 and was the sole supporter of her parents and brother back in Mexico, it was as though the world had stopped spinning. Who was she, if not a successful businesswoman, a bread-winner, a worker bee?

A neurological condition gave way to severe depression Though my sister and I wouldn’t have known it from the way she greeted us after school with a beaming smile, and a healthy meal made from scratch Despite her exhaustion, she was always ready to drive us to the ends of the earth for our countless extracurricular activities

Much like the glorious Frida Kahlo, she became an alchemist of life - turning tears into rivers of inspiration, despair into glory, pain into magic She had spent her whole life doing what she had to do to get by, suppressing her soul’s calling to bring more beauty into the world So, with the stroke of a brush, her journey took an inspiring twist and she went on to become a successful, world-renowned visual artist