Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie said that the death of her mother changed her a lot. She described her mother's loss as someone ripping away a protective blanket covering her.
Marcheline Bertrand, Jolie's mother, passed away in 2007 after receiving a diagnosis of breast and ovarian cancer. The Hollywood star spoke about her loss in an emotional op-ed on Mother's Day for the New York Times.
"I lost my mother in my thirties," Jolie wrote, adding: "When I look back to that time, I can see how much her death changed me. It was not sudden, but so much shifted inside. Losing a mother's love and warm, soft embrace is like having someone rip away a protective blanket."
Discussed her parents' split
She also shared how Bertrand's split from Jolie's father and actor Jon Voight had an impact on Bertrand's acting aspirations, PEOPLE.com reported
"When my father had an affair, it changed her life. It set her dream of family life ablaze. But she still loved being a mother. Her dreams of being an actor faded as she found herself, at the age of 26, raising two children with a famous ex who would cast a long shadow on her life. After she died, I found a video of her acting in a short film. She was good. It was all possible for her," wrote the Oscar-winning star.t
A tattoo as a tribute to her mother
As a tribute to her mother, Jolie got a small tattoo on her right hand of the letter "W", referencing the song "Winter" which Bertrand used to sing when she was a baby. Jolie noted that the tattoo faded over the years, but it helped her during a period of her "own loss".
"As the 'W' faded on my hand, so did that feeling of home and protection. Life has taken many turns. I've had my own loss and seen my life take a different direction. And it hurt more than I imagined it ever would," she wrote.
(With inputs from agencies)
