Communion with My Mother
My
mom lived in Greece from 1973-1976. It was an era of US sponsored
dictatorship in Greece with a junta in power. My mother was a writer
and actress and found inspiration in Greece. She lived in a suburb of
Athens and also lived in virtual isolation on the remote end of Kea, an
island in the Cyclades. She wrote sitting on flat slabs of rock looking
out on the Aegean.
Starting in 1987 and took my mom to Greece 7 times until her death on Memorial Day in 1997.
We were the best traveling buddies.
Much of the current Tangents Greece Music Tour itinerary was discovered during travels with my mom and brother.
In
2011 my brother and I scattered my mom's ashes on the rocks of Kea and
in Pelion which is my favorite place to visit in Greece. Pelion is
perched above Volos and is a verdant mountain clustered with charming
villages. There are also gorgeous beaches. My brother and I
scattered ashes in a forest and at my favorite beach on earth,
Mylopotamos.
On October 18 the group traveled to Mylopotamos beach from our base in the village Portaria.
It
is hard to imagine a more stunning beach setting. Mylopotamos is
divided into two beaches by a large rock formation that has a hole that
acts as a small doorway connecting the beaches.
Our group descended the many steps to the beach. They parked themselves at the first small beach and swam in the buoyant water.
I was surprised to learn I forgot my swim trunks.
I walked through the hole in the wall and entered nirvana. No one was on the other side. Not a soul.
It was meant to be. An isolated beach for me to have communion with my mother.
I visited the rocks where my brother and I had scattered the ashes.
The
water beckoned. I removed my clothes and wade in the water. It was
glorious. I never felt her spirit as keenly as in this moment. It was
as if lightning struck my soul. I swam out to rock coves and beyond. I
screamed "ma", "ma" over and over and then the names of family members,
the names of my cats through the years and on an on.
I had the world to myself and a one way line to the heavens with my mom on the other end.
Thank-you Mylopotamos.
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