Jean Munson
"Secrets My Mom Keeps"
August 2020
Zine
Courtesy the artist.

I was stressed from potentially losing my mom when I made these zine pages in August 2020. She had called an Uber instead of 911 or her kids to take her to Urgent Care. She didn’t trust us because we let her down too many times. At that moment I realized my mom held secrets to keep this image of strength in our minds even as she suffered. As a Filipina in today’s world, I am torn between the woman my mom wants me to be and the woman I want to become: a maternal martyr versus explorer of less-traveled paths. While waiting for the hospital to give me updates amidst strict COVID-19 protocol, I made this to cope and reflect about all the times I noticed her suppress pain.