Yolanda Pulecio Betancourt, mother of Ingrid Betancourt.

Former presidential candidate in Columbia, Ingrid Betancourt was freed from more than six years of captivity in the Columbian Jungle in July 2008.

Her mother, Yolanda, is kissing her on her liberation in Bogota.

During Ingrid's captivity by Farc, Yolanda was sending messages to Ingrid daily on the radio, not knowing if she was was dead or alive, or even listening.

Ingrid states that listening to the radio and hearing her mother's voice kept her alive and reminded her that she was a human, despite dehumanzing torture. Of course also, thinking of her own young children: Melanie and Lorenzo.

Yolanda, Melanie and Lorenzo have persisted contacting high and low in the political world to get Ingrid freed.

Yolanda is also a politician in Columbia and has focused on social issues and created homes for homeless children from the streets. Ingrid's sister, Astrid, is a human rights advocate.

Follow Ingrid, she is now busy talking to everyone: the pope, kings and queens, presidents, politicians, film stars and celebrities, and she is receiving honours from all over the world: Woman of the Year, Asturias prize, Honoured citizen of Paris, Florence.. candidate for Nobel Peace Prize.

Excerpts from Ingrid's splendid talk at the European Parliament from October, praising human ability to use words as the only means for needed changes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WwxLWUpJj0&feature=related

May revert with quotes later:

Lettres à maman, Par-delà l'enfer

Yolanta Pulecio Betancourt: Ingrid ma fille, mon amour

Maria Magdalena Keverich 1744-1787: "such a kind loving mother and my best friend"

Today is claimed to be the birthday of Ludwig von Beethoven (born in 1770).

This brings me to his mother, Maria Magdalena Keverich, who already at the age of 18, was a widow and had lost one infant. Then she remarried to Beethoven's father.

Maria Magdalena Keverich died 43 years old, after having born another seven children, of which only three survived infancy: Ludwig and two younger brothers.

Her husband is said to have been an alcoholic.

When Maria Magdalena was sick and dying, Beethoven was in Vienna and was on the point of studying with Mozart, but rushed home to see her.

By the time Beethoven got back to Vienna, Mozart had died, and the two composers never co-worked.

Beethoven apparently later described her mother in a letter: "She was such a kind, loving mother to me, and my best friend".

Some researchers believed that Beethoven showed signs of a autism throughout his life, see Michael Fitzgerald, of the Department of Child Psychiatry at Trinity College, Dublin.

However, this is speculative and may be true, may not be.

What is true, however, is that late in his life, Beethoven lost his hearing, but still miraculously composed evergreen music, still worshipped and played all over the world today, almost 300 years later.

The photo shows Beethoven's ear trumpets.

(Sources Wikipedia and http://www.madaboutbeethoven.com/)

Welcome

This is my first blog, hopefully it is interesting for other people than myself.

I will use it to meditate, as a container for my personal thoughts and universe at the moment, when I am very much confined to being full time with my adult son, who is suffering from mentally disease and potential Aspergers Syndrome. I do not have many people around me to discuss with, it is quite a lonely time, but slowly through the web and litterature and art, I get in touch with heroines, mothers dead or alive, throughout the world who has worked miracles. Some are famous, others just invisible to others, maybe only to get noticed at a later time.

Please comment, send me links and hints and tips - fun and hope.

Maxi-Mum