Mummies and Babes, a post from the Modern Grandma

Recently, Discovery Place hosted a blogger’s event and Katie asked me to join her and 11-month-old Will for the gathering. My girl seems to be everywhere lately — in print, on TV, on the radio, not that I’m proud! Discovery Place was kind enough to give us a gift, passes to the Mummies of the World exhibit. With Will in his stroller, Mom and Grandma went from room to room, seeing mummified bodies of people who had lived several hundred to several thousand years ago in Germany, Peru, and Egypt.

One image from the exhibit is haunting. A Peruvian mother, who lived several thousand years ago, is buried with another small body, a baby placed under her head. A second young child lies upon her stomach, put there perhaps a hundred years later. What were their joys, their tragedy?

Death was nearer to those people, a routine outcome of child bearing, disease, and war. Most of us will not die from harsh weather or in battle or lack of food. It’s unlikely we’ll be buried with our children. But their joys are our joys; their worries, our worries, too.

Katie, Will, and I left the exhibit and visited the toddler area of the museum. Will crawled about, struggling to get up a small incline. He inched forward, then slid back, over and over, unconcerned about the outcome, enjoying the challenge. I watched Katie watching Will. She’s such a good mother, in love with her boys.

Two images of mothers, one haunting, one lovely, both most precious.

Mummies of the World can be seen at Discovery Place until April 8th. For more information about the exhibit and to plan your visit to the museum, visit here: http://mummies.discoveryplace.org

For more posts from the Modern Grandma, click here.