Mum's arrival

Three little girls each holding a bouquet of colourful flowers swarmed around the lady as she exited the baggage claim area. Her face was dazzling with smiles, her eyes narrowed in joy. The girls gathered around her, and hugged her, again, and again. And again.

The oldest of the girls rested her head on the lady's shoulder. Unexpectedly, her hand swept across her eyes, her cheeks were reddened and damp. The mother stroked the girl's hair softly, and whispered ever so slightly. How very touching, how pure those feelings of joy mixed with longing and missing, finally overwhelmed with speechless emotions that express themselves through tears. Mother and daughters reunited at last, after how long only they will know.

I stood by and waited for my own mum to walk through those glass doors. The anticipation was exciting, and the expectation has in the past few days so unexpectedly brought smiles to my face. It has been almost two months since I last saw mum, soon I will see her again.

"David!" I heard, and turned to see her as she came out the doors. In front of her, two large suitcases. I quickly walked up and greeted her with a big hug, and laughter. "Why so much stuff?" I asked.

"All yours!"

Later in my apartment, as I slowly unpacked the suitcases did I know what she meant. A rice cooker, teapots, porcelain, cookies, towels, woolly jumpers, chopsticks, dried shrimps and mushrooms... all for me. It must have weighed some 30kg altogether. I imagined how mum hauled the two suitcases down those five flights of stairs in Taipei , flew some 20 hours changing three times to bring me all this. And I had expressly told her many times that she should travel light, and not carry too much, because it's too heavy for her alone!

It's not the things that she brought that made they especially valuable... but what they represent. All the effort and thought behind preparing and carrying all these things across the ocean. Just for me, just so that I can live a little better, eat a little healthier, just so that I can take care of myself when there is noone else to take care of me.

Mother and son reunited again, after how long only I will know.