A Silent Walk with My Mom

Oct 29, 2023

It was a Saturday night, or rather, a Sunday morning. I was sitting with my laptop, bored out of my mind. I work in the EDT zone, but I live in India, so my schedule is messed up. I rarely get to see the sun rise or set, or enjoy the beauty of nature around me.

I decided to read a book to pass the time. I picked up "Don't Sell, Make Them Buy" from the shelf and started reading. It was quite interesting and I finished almost 20% of it. Then I looked at the clock. It was 4 am.

I heard my mom waking up. She usually goes for a morning walk at this time. She has been doing this ever since she survived a brain paralysis that affected her speech. She can't talk fluently anymore, and we have drifted apart over the years. We live under the same roof, but we hardly communicate.

I felt a pang of guilt and concern for her. She was going out in the dark, alone. What if something happened to her? What if she got lost or hurt? What if she met a ghost or a vampire? Okay, maybe not that last one, but still, :d.

I asked her if I could join her. She nodded and smiled. I put on my shoes and followed her.

We walked for about 30 minutes around our colony. It has two beautiful gardens, 15 streets and a railway track just ahead of us. I barely noticed these things before. Even though we have been living here for six years, I have hardly explored it six times. I am lazy as hell.

But that day, I felt different. I felt alive and curious. I observed the surroundings with new eyes. I saw the stars twinkling in the sky, the flowers blooming in the gardens, the birds chirping in the trees, the trains passing by on the track.

And most of all, I saw my mom's face. It was neutral, but peaceful. She looked happy and relaxed. She didn't say a word, but she didn't need to. Her smile was enough to convey her feelings.

We didn't talk at all during our walk, but we didn't have to. We felt a silent bond between us, a bond of love and care.

It was one of the best walks of my life. It was a rare and precious moment that I will cherish forever.

I returned home with a warm feeling in my heart. I wished my mom a good morning and a good night at the same time. I went to bed with a smile on my face.

I hope to have more walks like that with my mom in the future.

Maybe next time we can even talk a little bit. Or maybe not. Maybe silence is golden.

From a page of my not-so-daily diary!