The old lady muddles about the kitchen…she moves quickly and with purpose…but you can tell it’s not easy and that she sometimes hurts when in motion. Still she is quiet and hardly makes a sound as she moves across the floor from counter to stove to sink…and then back to the stove…she demonstrates agility and her very essence magnifies her presence, despite the visible indications to the contrary. Finally she pauses long enough to catch my eye and smile, and motion me to the kitchen table…the morning sun catches her face just briefly and the signs of deep wisdom and age are revealed…a synthesis of what has arisen out of the life lived and the strength of this woman, stretching back through seemingly infinite time. Over breakfast we talk, but mostly she makes sure that I eat…and eat well…every so gently she ply’s me about my day and the people I will see and the work I will do. She offers stories about days gone by and how times have changed…and reminds me about the choices and outcomes of the men and women of my ancestry…she is caring for me in more ways than just food, she is nurturing my soul, my heart, and my mind. We always part the same way…she takes my hand in hers and pats the top of it with her other hand as I kiss her forehead and say goodbye…and we break our connection just a little to quickly because sadness reminds of the uncomfortable understanding that these mornings are far more in number behind us, than what lay ahead, sigh. I miss those mornings…it seems a lifetime ago, and indeed it was…but I am ever so thankful for these wonderful memories.
“Women need real moments of solitude and self-reflection to balance out how much of ourselves we give away.” – Barbara de Angelis
About Lawrence Lewis
I do a number of things professionally...but most of all and the true purpose of what I do through "my work" is to provide for my family, be a good husband and great father, and try to make a difference as a world citizen...I guess it's not much more complicated than that 🙂