THE DAUGHTER - AN ODE TO MY MOTHER

Sometimes when I pop into the store to drop off Bloomerie blooms or freshly picked produce, someone will fix their gaze on me and linger. Then, they’ll walk up to me and ask, “Are you the daughter?” 

Image by Lisa Romerein

Often, when I tell someone about these interactions, they’ll ask how that makes me feel, to have an identity so intrinsically linked to my parents, and more specifically, to my mother. When I was younger, I’d answer with a bit of angst, as expected from a girl in the throes of individuation. But as I grow up, the more I see it as an honor to be known through her.

Image by Lisa Romerein

You all know my mom as Brooke, or perhaps still by her pen name, Velvet & Linen. She began sharing her life online when I was nine years old. In the midst of raising two rambunctious boys and one emotional girl, she would sit down every week to write a reflection on what was inspiring her at the moment.

In the beginning, her posts were the musings of an aspiring interior decorator—filled with fabric samples and freshly designed spaces. But then, one day, she shared how she was transforming the front yard of our suburban home into a vegetable garden. Slowly, a new identity began to unravel and braid itself in with her others. Alongside her usual posts pontificating on the perfect paint, she began sharing tips for growing vegetables, and eventually, raising chickens, in small spaces.

As she shared, I watched in awe as she blossomed on her blog, hopping into frame whenever I could. But beyond that, I watched as she courageously pursued her dream life with my father. That bravery led to Patina Farm, and to the adoption of adorable animals she mothered just as lovingly as she did us.

Images by Lisa Romerein

And then, ten years later, the pursuit led to Patina Meadow and Patina Home & Garden.

Images by Lisa Romerein

Throughout this journey, much has changed. Sometimes I feel as though she’s lived more lives than a cat. But through it all, in every chapter of this story of discovery, the main through line has been her exceptional role as a mother. No matter how much the world tried to pull her away, she continually knit our family’s world together with the threads of compassion, loyalty, humor, and ambition that run through her.

Still today, when I feel myself unraveling, I know I can always come back to her, no matter how busy she may be, and she will use those threads to stitch me back together.

I feel incredibly blessed, not only because she is my mother, but also because I was able to watch her grow into the outstanding woman she is today and learn from her along the way. Being able to be a part of her story, first as the eager girl in front of her camera and now as a co-creator, has been one of my favorite parts of mine.

Most recently, my mom and I collaborated on a collection of pottery. You can shop all the pieces here.

So yes, I am the daughter, and I will forever be proud to be. 

I love you, Mama.

Love,

Leila