During the months that followed, Angela didn't talk about her mother's death and the sadness, anger and guilt that accompanied it. In a culture that fears death rather than celebrates it as a natural part of life, mother loss is rarely discussed. People whose mothers are alive don't want to think about losing them. Those whose mothers have died are reluctant to speak about it not only because death is a cultural taboo, but also because mothers are supposed to be immortal. From Mother Earth to mother country, the concept of mother is central to our notions of comfort and security.
Mothers are cultural icons.
They are keepers of home and hearth and symbols of all that is warm, gentle and nurturing. Their images are everywhere, constantly reminding women like Angela of the void in their lives. But these images of womanhood do nothing to help women connect to their deepest feminine roots, planted and nurtured by generations of mothers. When women lose their mothers, they lose their connection to their source, their femininity and their history. The child's fear of being left alone and unprovided for gets carried into adulthood.