Sarah Silverman’s Devastating Mother’s Day Tribute To Non-Biological Moms

Sarah Silverman honored her step-mother on Mother’s Day Image by Getty Images

By Jenny Singer May 13, 2019

Comedian Sarah Silverman is kind of our collective beloved Jewish child — we think everything she does is gorgeous, above-average, and maybe should qualify her to be president.

But even if you don’t regard the 48-year-old comic as a kind of high-ponytailed messiah, you have to admit that the Mother’s Day tribute she posted to Instagram on Sunday was soul-stirring, and quietly powerful.

Silverman has spoken extensively about her closeness with her mother Beth Ann, who passed away in 2015. In her memoir and in interviews, Silverman has described her mother’s beauty, her brilliance, her work ethic, her many talents, and, of course, the pain of her loss.

So it was surprising to look at the star’s Instagram on Sunday and see, not a picture of Beth Ann Silverman, but instead a picture of a blonde woman named Janice. Janice is Silverman’s step-mother — she’s been married to Silverman’s father Donald for over 40 years. And she’s also the comedian wrote with piercing emotion, a mother to Silverman, and a friend, and the woman who held her mother’s hand on her death bed.

Those of us who were overly influenced by step-mother dynamics in “The Parent Trap,” take note. Step-parents can be real parents. Non-biological moms are moms. There is room in your life for as many people as you care to let in.

Family members don’t have to share blood. Though in the case of Silverman’s mother and step-mother, they did. It’s nice to remember, as Mother’s Day passes through with complex feelings for non-biological parents, those dealing with loss, and anyone who has ever mothered or benefitted from one — more than one person can be your “whole heart.”

Happy Mother’s Day, everyone.

Jenny Singer is the deputy life/features editor for the Forward. You can reach her at Singer@forward.com or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny

Jenny Singer is a freelance writer with pieces in Vox, the Washington Post, The San Francisco Chronicle, Teen Vogue, and more. She was previously a staff writer at Glamour and the Forward, and she’s currently getting an MFA in nonfiction writing at the University of Iowa.

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