“Are you okay?” Messages from Mom

I’d just finished my morning workout, stepped out of the shower and tapped my phone to check the time. Glaring back at me: 4 messages & a missed call from my Mom

Of course I called her back immediately. “Everything okay, Mom?” I asked. She responded with her hoarse morning voice. I thought this early in the morning, surely something bad happened

Wrong.

It turns out, me not responding to her WhatsApp messages for 1 day (since it was Canadian Thanksgiving and I was…working) was enough to make my night owl of a Mother think of me and call me at 6am

After the call I couldn’t help but think how thoughtful that interaction was.

I could have chosen to see her calling to check on me as annoying or stifling. But today, I chose to see it as beautiful.

I guess it’s true, a parent never stops being a parent.

After being home during COVID and realizing how much my Ammammah (maternal grandmother) has aged. Her memory vanished, her mobility basically nil. Witnessing that on a daily basis gave me tremendous perspective and confirmation that: life is short.

It’s what made me realize this morning that a simple check-in call from my Mom won’t happen forever. There will inevitably be a time when she won’t be able to do the simple little things she does now just to make me feel loved.

So today I’m choosing to embrace it. To love it, to appreciate it and to document it. If there’s one thing I love it’s documenting the tiny, innocuous moments of everyday life. This was one (of many) that I don’t want to forget ❤️