In the Absence of Blood: Forming Kinship Ties Through Religious Belief

Abstract

This is a personal reflection essay on my mother’s experiences growing up with her foster mother and her biological mother. The relationship between mother and daughter challenge normative ideas of how maternal love is formed and understood. I first wrote this essay for my undergraduate course on kinship where I wanted to explore how larger social structures and beliefs can influence kinship ties between mother and child. I write this essay to reflect on the emotional labour involved as my mother navigated the social intricacies of her relationships with both of her mothers.