Teresa Radomska - A Story Of Sadness And Joy

Teresa Radomska is not only my mother, but the most incredible woman I’ve ever met and my continuing source of inspiration.  Her story is full of sadness and joy.  She was forced to leave Poland during the time of communism rule and make her way to Sweden with 3 children in which two were only 2 years old.

From a very humble background, every day of her life striving to make life easier for her children, this woman had no thoughts about her happiness, just her kids. She ran away from her abusive husband and was practically disowned by her family because of the Orthodox catholic influence in her native country.  She left everything she knew in order to start over in a foreign country.  Her parents did nothing to help; all they did was try to get her to go back to her abusive alcoholic husband. Eventually, she returned to school, learned the Swedish language, and focused all her energy and strength on making her children’s lives easier. After meeting another husband that fathered her additional two children, she learned that he, too, was mentally abusive, an alcoholic with a short temper.
Again, she left him.

Growing up, we were raised in a humble environment, but she always made us feel rich with her love and attention.  Me and my siblings did everything in our power to help her as much as we could, my brother especially. He had to grow up fast and become the father figure my mother was not. I never blamed her for that.  I consider myself to have had a glorious childhood.

After my mother discovered she was becoming ill, the doctor prescribed her an antidepressant. She stopped taking them after a short while, saying they made her tired and out of energy and she needed to raise 5 children.

She worked all her life and never let anything bring her down. Not two abusive husbands or a family that turned their back on her, not a disease that caused her constant headaches for the last 6 years nor her numb hands that have lost feeling from all her hard work and labor. she always smiled, and she does so to this day. She always told us “I never needed youth. I relived youth through the eyes and experiences of my children”

We learned of her illness the day she accidentally cut her thumb and didn’t even notice it. I was upset with her for not telling me, but at the same time I wouldn’t tell my children either. She never once wanted us to feel pity; her only regret is that we never had a father. I let her know every day how much I love her and that I had the best mother in the world.

As I was beginning to take an interest in art, she spoke for the first time about my father, how he once started to make a portrait out of her
in oil. That’s was when I made up my mind to become an artist - just to finish that portrait that was never finished.

I did finish it. It hangs on on my mother’s wall back at the home she managed to provide for me with her hard labor. She now owns a house, a car, and is engaged to be married to the most wonderful man imaginable. He takes care of her, cooks for her, and tells her every day how beautiful she is. Even though I am in America now, there isn’t a day we don’t think about one another and long to just curl up in her couch together and drink some lemonade.

Mom, you always smiled, and may you smile for many many more years. I am who I am because of your sacrifice and because of you thinking
about my interest instead of your own. My art is you; you will keep inspiring me for the rest of my days.  Thanks for all the goodness you’ve
given me and my siblings. Although your body was aching, you always smiled. You never once let me down and always supported me to
do what I thought was right in my heart. Even though as an artist it is hard to make it, you were always there, cheering me on.

May your smile shine in whatever you do.  You will always continue to make people happy.  That is just your nature.

I love you!

Your daughter,

Anna