Meghan Markle is one of the most talked-about women in the world, and from her California life with Prince Harry, Archie and Lilibet, to her empowering Archetypes podcast, she never fails to make news.
This past week, it was Meghan's words about her mother Doria Ragland that made headlines, as a resurfaced blog post from Meghan's pre-royal days went viral over US Mother's Day.
"Dreadlocks. Nose ring. Yoga instructor. Social worker. Free spirit. Lover of potato chips & lemon tarts. And if the DJ cues Al Green's soul classic 'Call Me,' just forget it," read Meghan's 2014 post about her mother from her now-defunct blog, The Tig. "She will swivel her hips into the sweetest little dance you've ever seen, swaying her head and snapping her fingers to the be like she's been dancing since the womb. And you will smile. You won't be able to help it. You will look at her and you will feel joy. I'm talking about my mom."
Meghan's 2014 post continued: "As a kid, you don't really get it. You don't get that your parents are real people. There are just your parents. She was just my mom. The one who made me sip a Carnation instant breakfast drink in the car on my way to Little Red School House because despite my not wanting to start my day with a meal, she said I had to [have] something in my system. And how annoying I found that.
"Because, again, I didn't get it. But now, oh but now… I'm a grown woman. And I get it. Get all of it. The curfews that were prefaced with 'want you home by that time, Flower, not because I'm worried about what you'll do, but because I'm worried about what everyone else out there is up to.' The jogs together in our neighbourhood, and bike rides to the La Brea Tar Pits after school. Time spent in the kitchen, helping her prep dinner, carefully tossing fresh herbs into the salad, and knowing when the shrimp in the gumbo was juuuuust right. The trips to Oaxaca, Mexico well before tourists flocked there to learn how to cook mole.
"In the afternoon sitting with my grandma. Both of my grandmas. My mom rubbing their feet to help with circulation, brushing the hair so gently when they couldn't do it on their own. Kissing them goodbye, and cradling their faces with such tenderness at each visit that their eyes sparkled with tears. I didn't get it then. But I get it now. She was keeping me safe."
This is beautiful.
