We can sometimes find that throughout all the years someone touched our lives, they were dealing with some major struggles that we never knew about.
Although perhaps the most famous and tragic example of this phenomenon came in the final years of Robin Williams’ life, it’s also true that it’s more common than we might have assumed.
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Because while most of know Hugh Jackman for his acting chops, big heart and fun-loving sense of humor , only his most dedicated fans could tell you what he’s had to overcome behind the scenes.
And it’s this backstory that transforms a recent photo taken with his mother from just a wholesome moment to a powerful reminder of the journey they’ve taken together.
When Jackman was eight years old, he came home from school one day only to discover that his mom wasn’t there.
As he told The Sun , his initial shock and anger deepened the next day when his family received a telegram stating that she had fled all the way from Sydney, Australia to England.
And after his parents officially divorced that year, two of his five siblings would eventually join her.
But while Jackman credits his father Christopher for being his rock during those years, he said he didn’t feel as though his mom had planned to abandon him.
According to Newsweek , he said, “I think she thought it was, ‘I just need to get away, and I’ll come back.’ Dad used to pray every night that Mum would come back.”
It’s possibly for this reason that the anger Jackman felt never blossomed into hatred.
As he put it, “The thing I never felt, and I know this might sound strange, I never felt that my mum didn’t love me.”
And as he matured and had kids of his own, Jackman said it became more apparent to him why she left.
In his words, “I’ve spoken about it at length with her since and I know she was struggling.”
Specifically, he discovered that she was struggling with an undiagnosed case of postnatal depression for which she didn’t feel she had a support network in Australia.
So by the time Jackman was 43, he said that the two had made their peace with each other.
But even when there was an ocean between them, he said he always felt connected with his mom and says they’ve had a good relationship.
So while there’s something inherently cute about this photo that Jackman simply captioned “mum,” it comes as a celebration of that rejuvenated relationship once you know the backstory.
