The Mother Who Lived

What does the Harry Potter series say about mothering? Lily’s self-sacrifice was magic because it was universal: any mother would die to protect her child. But what about the rest of us -- the caretakers who do the daily drudgework of keeping a child alive, and keeping the self alive for the child? Whether it’s about Snape protecting an enemy’s son, Petunia and her unwanted nephew, or a suicidally depressed single mother, Rowling permeates her series with stories about how it feels to be the Mother Who Lived.Dumbledore’s priority was to keep people alive, even if imprisoned. Why? If we read the child in the cupboard -- or the soul fragment taking refuge in a scar – or the dream of becoming a writer -- as the life force in times of duress, surviving until it’s safe to emerge for a second chance – we see the courage of the suicidal mother recognizing that even in her destitution, writing her story was the only way to stay strong enough to parent her baby.For everyone who has ever wondered if what they’ve done for their child can possibly be enough, the series says: Look at your child. Nourish the child through your gaze. And see who you become in their eyes.