Gerald D'Cunha

  “Try to keep your soul young and quivering right up to old age.” George Sand   O n 3 rd of this July, my Mom completed 88 years. She had five sons. Harry, her third son, passed away a couple of years ago. She remembered the birthdays of all her sons, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, and most of our relatives. She even remembered the wedding and death anniversaries of most of her near and dear ones… But, after her fall, two years ago, Mom has been confined to her bed and wheelchair. Her memory is gone, and she cannot recognize anyone… We four, her surviving sons, decided to meet and celebrate her 88 th birthday this time. Her life had been, always, church-centric: Jesus Christ, Mother Mary, Patron saints… Holy Mass, Holy Sacrament, hymns, confessions, priests, Bishops, and the Pope… at home, the daily rosary and angelus… She lived by the Lord’s Prayer – ‘Our Father… Give us our daily bread…” So, it was befitting to organize a beautiful Mass at home on Mom’s 88...

  “If evolution really works, how come mothers have only two hands?” Milton Berle     T oday is my mom’s birthday… She completes 87. On her last birthday, mom was able to know, that it was her birthday. She was able to walk (with some support), talk, eat, pray, laugh, cry and feel. She was able to recognize everyone. But, on her this birthday, everything has changed: she had a fall, following which she was hospitalized, operated upon… since then, her condition has only deteriorated. Presently, she needs help for every little thing… She is unable to recognize any one or understand what is happening around her… She needs to be fed… A spoon of food takes time, and patience… Long time; long patience! Oscar Wilde had said this: “All women become like their mothers. It’s their tragedy. No man does. It’s his.” Often, these words make me wonder, as to why the poet had said this! Perhaps, I can understand why the poet had said it, by going back in time… A spoon of fo...

  “You spend the first 2 years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then, you spend the next 16 years telling them to sit down and shut up.” Anonymous   D oesn’t it sound familiar? Well, it does. And, it also makes us smile, behind which, we can hear our quiet justification: “Hey, is it not parenting?” Yesterday was my mom’s b’day. She entered her 87 th . My wife and I had made a video call to wish her yesterday. Mom sounded cheerful, a lot content. One of the things, that was going through my mind was, how, with age, parents become more and more dependent on their children. Honestly, my mind went back to those initial 2 years when I was a baby… I didn’t remember much about it… But, most certainly, she must’ve taught me, like all other mothers did, to walk and talk! How important it must’ve been for her! How satisfying! What I clearly remember were the next 16 years, when I was getting into my little boyhood and slowly turning into an adolescent… Oh, t...