When I think of my mother

When I think of my mother
Images of her smile are eternally engraved in my mind
Like the familiarity of your favorite re-run
That you never get tired of watching
And repeating the same lines over and over again
And smiling too as you are suddenly caught off guard
By her infectious laughter and garbled words
As we both gasp for air in between our high-pitched wheezes and melodic giggling
Rolling on the floor in a heap of unbundled joy
Blissful tears escaping from our tightly squeezed eyes
Bearing in the pleasurable pain from our constricted chests and unyielding stomachs
We laugh.
We laugh until we can laugh no more.
Until one dares to mention again that which led us into this treacherous path of unforgiving mirth
I delight in the sound of her voice
That which in one moment can soothe a thousand pains
Her touch is a mystery to me
How did I end up to be the fortunate child of a mother
Whom God chose to place the very essence of his love into the palm of her hands?
Her love has taught me how to love
I could not bear to live without her
And I think of my father
My father
Whose wise words have never strayed
And whose love has never failed
He taught me how to survive
And survive I did
Through every battle
Through every storm
I cling to him like static
I strive to be just like him.
His genuine concern for my success and relentless optimism for my future inspire me
And on most days cause me to look up to heaven and whisper “I love my dad” to myself or anyone who may be listening
He and my mother’s catchy phrases and mannerisms will always make me smile
Sometimes laugh out loud
There will never be a more perfect couple