Rising hopes

In the afternoon, my uncle (mum's second brother) called and asked if I wanted to go out tonight. "Want to go light sky lanterns," he asked excited. He had talked about it last week when I met him and his family for lunch one day. And I didn't think he meant it, or that we would go  so soon. So I said yes, and mum too wanted to come along.

Nobody knew it was my birthday, but that didn't matter. We had a wonderful and relaxed time, and I was glad mum managed to come along. We had a nice seafood dinner, and then a soak in the hot spring, which really soothed my mind and eased  a  lot of tension in my muscles. The water was so clear, and bubbled upward from beneath the ground at 50C. In no time, my feet and hands were red like the lobster we ate...

Then came the highlight. We drove to the coastline, and climbed onto a dike. I could not see the sea, but I could hear it very clearly. The Pacific, the vast, vast Pacific Ocean spread out so tranquilly before us. The sky was almost completely clear, almost completely still, and there were so many stars out. My uncle and his friends took out skylantern, and pieces of paper soaked in oil. The tradition is to make a wish quietly as you light lantern, and then release the lantern one by one. The last time I did it was four years ago, right after my dad passed away, and also on my birthday that year. So it was very meaningful to be doing it again this year.

I set up skylanterns with mum, and we both held one side of the lantern. For one lantern I wished that mum would be free from pain, free from suffering. I watched mum close her eyes and deep in thought. Did she wish something for herself? It was a white sky lantern, used to wish for good health or success in you career. Did she wish something for herself, or reserve her wish, and her hopes for me?

My aunt handed me  another skylantern. A pink one this time. "For love!" she said, "Wish something quick!" I smiled, and held the skylantern by the side. It is rare that I wish something for myself, but this time I did have one. "May I find someone whom I love, and who loves me in return." Loves me without conditions, loves me without reservations, loves me truly, deeply, and madly, just as I do him. I smiled again at the thought, and let the skylantern go... Sometimes you just have to let go of everything  before you find something you really want.

I climbed onto the dike, and lay on my back for a few moments, watching the dozen skylanterns lift up higher and higher and higher into the heavens. Mesmerising. Beautiful... So tranquil... "May you carry all our hopes and dreams to far away places... May the world share in the peace, happiness, joy and freedom that these lanterns bring..."

I watched as the skylanterns joined the stars, and dimmed into the darkness. How beautiful and memorable that moment.  Even more so because I spent it with mum...