On My Mind Monday

'This is the worst part,' she told me once. 'You're holding your breath, thinking it's still ahead, but this really is the worst of it, for you and for her.' At the same time words had not soothed me; I could imagine nothing worse than the moment my mother no longer drew air in and out of her lungs, no longer took us in through her weary eyes. I could imagine nothing worse than not being able to look at her face every day, its beauty grossly distorted but never abadoning her. But in the days after her death I realized Mrs. Gharibian had been right, there had been nothing worse than waiting for it to come, that the void that followed was easier to bear than the solid weight of those days.

Jhumpa Lahiri - Year's End

This is true at times, but most minutes I know I'd have given anything to have one more day with my Mom. She didn't use her beach towel much during our last family vacation, but it saddens me not to have to pack it at all anymore.

I just finished Unaccustomed Earth - I very much enjoyed this collection of thought provoking, touching and short stories.