The good mother’s death means a lot in fairy tales, not only for the child, but also for the woman. Helen Reis Mouraoin at http://www.cafecomjung.com
My friend, Kathleen, brought the fact of motherloss in fairy tales to my attention yesterday. It’s scary to think that after nearly 73 years I missed this profound connection. Just think about it…Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel…and then there is Bambi, Koda, Po, Ariel, Annie, Peter Pan, Finding Nemo, Aladdin, Pocahontas, etc. What a story line…mother dies, wicked step mother appears…and in more modern day stories, strong father enters, or children are lost and parentless. Good grief…have we been living a “fairy tale” life and didn’t know it?
The whole literary use of motherloss is a fascinating psychological study, enough so that I’m going to write a chapter on it in my book. In the meantime, I’m going to explore a bunch of kids movies and literature and see what sticks in my own life experiences. Who knew we could learn about ourselves while watching movies with our kids or grandkids?
Affirmation: I a learning something new everyday.
Coaching questions: Is there a fairy tale or children’s movie with which you identify? Why? What did you learn about yourself from it?
Life after losing a mother 