You probably noticed today’s date, February 22, but what you likely didn’t see was that the calendar taped on your desk aligns perfectly with the one still in 2009. And why take pause at such inconsequential details? Because they matter. For me and for millions like me.
So here I am replaying all these situations from that same year in my head and when it finally sinks in, I am embarrassed by how little things have changed.
My mother turns 50 today.
Her birthday is kind of like New Years Eve for me. I always have the day off (thank you, George Washington!) and it’s an opportunity for reflection, an opportunity to realize precisely what she wanted and how she wanted it – for her and for us. Whatever I write tonight won’t do it justice but this is just my latest attempt to stop the clock or to at least appreciate it a little bit more.
What I do want to share are some memories from the last time we cut cake on this special occasion. It took place in a hospital room, half of it anyway, but that’s not the point. We bought food for the entire floor, ate a nice duck dinner with some soup and caught a glimpse of Oscar Sunday before the drive back home on a school night.
It was the perfect day. I never did get the chance to do it quite like that again.
Some of our best moments come right before our worst. The time I spent with mom is there to show me who she was living for.
Happy Birthday, Ma
We’re thinking about you
——————————————————————————————————————————
*Normal coverage resumes March 1st.
The Draftnik 
Proud to read your writing. I was a teenage girl when I first saw Shrabonti chachi in our house. She was a very smart, intelligent and jolly women. I was impressed in our first meeting . I wanted to be a brilliant and educated women like her in my early ages. Alhamdulliah nice to see that you inherited your parents intellect. Our Ashraf chacha is a fighter. Lots of duas and love for u all.
LikeLike
I have never meet chachi or even the cousin who wrote this little tribute to his mom. But dad always told me about the bright side of chachi along with the sickness. I feel amazing to see my cousin brother write about his mother. Thanks For sharing it among all of us that the love for mother (parents) should never end in our hearts until we die.
LikeLike
This was lovely to reead
LikeLike