Mother's Day, Year Two: A Reflection on Grief and Growth

Welcome to Bri Books, and Happy Mother's Day to the matriarchs out there. I'm excited to share this episode because I want to honor my own mother, Michele Jimerson, who passed away February 13, 2024. I have so much gratitude and humility for my mother, her story and her life.

I spent Mother's Day Weekend, the second since my mother's death, at a retreat in Morristown, NJ hosted by Arthouse2b, a multidisciplinary group of artists cultivating Catholic arts renewal in NYC. Their aim is to restore culture through restoring the heart of the artist.. The retreat was centered on the hart of christ, and it came down to: God is made to endure your suffering. He specializes in broken hearts. that’s where He shines. One poignant point that struck me during the retreat, was then when I’m rebellious in my thoughts and not using my creative energy the way God has set aside for me to use it, it grieves Him. i think of all the times as a kid when I’d grieve my mother over silly things—but she never stopped loving me. Why would she? 

The same grievouos disappointment your own mother feels, mirrors what God feels. And as much as that disappointment is compounded, so is the generosity of spirit that comes with vulnerability before the Lord. With me experiencing so much gratitude for my own mother and her story, this point felt especially powerful to me.

When I mention the way my mom passed way, it feels like a plot in a novel, or something I’m revealing for a sick shock value. The truth is, Michele Jimerson died in a hit and run accident on February 13, 2024. It occurred as she was crossing the street using her wheelchair, feet from her front door, en route back from a doctor’s appointment. She was hit by two cars. Neither car stopped, and the case remains unsolved today. 

As I reflect on this truth in the wake of Mother’s Day, what impacts me the most about the way my mother’s life ended, is that I’m neither angry nor sad. As we do our due diligence with lawyers to get answers, more than anything, I just feel deeply grievous for the people who struck her and didn't stop. yes, they created a pain by not stopping, but they also compounded their own pain. I can’t imagine how that feels. That pain doesn’t belong to me. I feel the shocks and aftereffects of it, but it's not mine. And my vulnerability is what is most valuable to both God and myself. I was so grateful to be surrounded by Arthouse2b members, artists, playwrights, founders, etc. I felt very much like my mother’s presence walked the retreat halls and gardens with me. 

In the next episode, I’ll share the poem I authored while on the retreat, and share more reflections on approaching spring in the wake of grief. Somethin’gs growing. :) With that, thank you for listening to Bri Books. I’d love to hear your favorite stories of your mothers. Leave them in the comments on @BrionnaJay on Instagram, and in the Spotify comment. You can always find Bri Books on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and at bribookspod.com. Thank you again Arthouse2b!