They say there’s no such emotion like when a mother watches her child take those first precious steps.
I have yet to be acquainted with that feeling. But let me tell you about that time when I almost knew how it felt…
It was a morning like any other…
A movement caught my eye. Everything remained still, suspended in midair as I watched her lift one shaky foot. They touched the ground, seemingly savoring how the earth pulsated beneath them.
Then she let go…
Mama released the quad cane and with a big grin on her face, took one trembling step after another towards my grandma who stood in the kitchen stunned, oblivious of the sharp fragments of porcelain that lay shattered at her feet.
‘Look!’, Ma yelled excitedly, ‘I’m walking!’
‘Praise God!,’ my grandmother breathed. Her eyes were brilliant with tears of joy.
Then it occurred to me… for the second time, she was witnessing her child take those first precious steps.
I giggled at my mother’s stubbornness… her obstinate refusal to stick to the norm.
A month ago on that day, when my mom suffered from cerebrovascular accident (stroke) the doctors said with certainty that she’ll never walk again.
They all said it was a miracle.
I believe it was coz of the stuff my ma’s made of.
pursuing life in
relentless spirit she walks
off the trodden path
thorns on trails
they but urge us to
keep walking
恵
*
I thought I was gonna write about fantasy but ended up writing about inspiration which I don’t do very often since I’m not so good with the teary stuff. lol But this one’s a true story and I hope that everyone who reads this gets to learn something about perseverance, fortitude and optimism from my mom. Coz I sure did.
for Ligo Haibun
The Eclectic Eccentric 