{ In Memory of My Mother }


The man stood in the living room, his gaze falling on the empty armchair. His mother's favorite spot, now just a painful reminder.

He had devoted two decades of his life caring for her, putting his life on pause.

Now, the silence of the house echoed his loneliness.

He often found himself at the park, sitting on the bench, watching life go by. It was a temporary escape from his solitude.

He remembered his mother's laughter, her stories, her warmth. Her going through old photograghs, being reminders of her past, and filling him in on family histories.

Even amongst the joyous crowd, he felt an overwhelming sense of loss.

One day, he decided to clean up his old room. He found himself surrounded by memories, a past life forgotten in the care of his mother.

He looked at his college diploma.

He had dreams. He hadambitions.

But life had other plans, and he had accepted them without regret.

He started spending more time at the library, immersing himself in books. It was a refuge from his thoughts, a place of solace.

As days turned into weeks, he found a sense of purpose in learning. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

One day, he decided to step out of his comfort zone and visited a local cafe. The noise, the people, it was overwhelming yet strangely comforting.

He made small talk with the barista, laughed at jokes, and for the first time in a long while, he felt a spark of life within him.

As time passed, he was slowly embracing the new normal.

He knew his mother would have wanted him to move on, after her passing. He knew that she would want him to live.

The house slowly wasn't as quiet anymore, and the loneliness was fading.

The man looked at the empty armchair again. It still held memories of his mother, but now, they brought a smile to his face instead of pain.
© AStoryBookLoveAffair