10 Comments
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Erin LaCerra's avatar

Impressive horse rendering! I’m not crying, you’re crying dammit. Truly beautiful. Thank you for sharing Juliane!

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Juliane Bergmann's avatar

High praise from an actual artist 💗 thank you, Erin!! I definitely did cry while writing this 😂

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Mike Hetherington's avatar

My mother passed when I was 14. She was different from your mother - and so very much the same. For a few minutes, you brought her back to life. You write in some mysterious shorthand that adds a gripping, emotional dimension to common words. It's a gift. J.M Barrie said, "God gave us memory so we would have roses in December." You grow roses.

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Juliane Bergmann's avatar

Thank you, Mike. That's a beautiful thing to say and I'm so glad these words gave you a few moments with your mother. 14 is so very young. I'm sorry.

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Elizabeth Bobrick's avatar

I love this, and the painting is terrific. I thought it was an illustration from a children’s book. Do you know E.B. White’s essay ‘The Ring of Time’? He’s watching a circus performer practice with her horse. I think you’d like it.

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Juliane Bergmann's avatar

Hey Elizabeth, thank you so much :) I love the painting in its ridiculousness. It's actually how I used to paint as a kid, so it was an interesting experience. I will check out that essay - thank you for the rec!

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Katy O's avatar

Just holy sh&t. Beautiful.

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Juliane Bergmann's avatar

Katy!!!!!! I love you. So much.

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Sally Schwartz's avatar

I started to read this in a hurry, and yet it pulled me in, slowed me down, stopped me completely. "Seven years is a long time and it is nothing. I’m just now starting to really miss you. I first needed to walk through the anger at everything you were not and now 7 years later I’m starting to see everything you were." May my own daughters come to this realization.

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Juliane Bergmann's avatar

Thank you, Sally. I feel fortunate to have read some of your beautiful writing about your own mom, and how you allow every person in your life to be a full human.

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