Weekly Reflections #20 : Gratitude on 11/11

On 11/11 was a meaningful day for me since I chose to pay a visit to my mother-in-law who lived 17 kilometers away from my house. My journey began with double purposes. I intended to pay her a visit on my way to the "Kandy Textile Shop" in Kadawatha to show samples of our new t-shirt designs. Even though this small business was our post-retirement passion, it had now evolved into a family project.

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My 94-year-old mother-in-law is my most respected person in the world; she was the one who cared for me when I came to her house after my marriage, and I thought that day was the another day to express my gratitude to her.

When I arrived at my mother-in-law's place, she greeted me warmly. I offered everything I had brought for her. She was overjoyed with my presence and urged her daughter, who was living with her currently, to treat me properly. Despite her old age of 94, she had an excellent memory.

I sat in front of her chair and we talked about our previous memories with laughter. She looked forward to my visits because it was the time she could share all she had accumulated for several days. She talked with me nonstop, with a smiling face about her old neighbor friends who came to see her several times.

Hearing about her experience, taught me how to improve our family relationships and how to learn from one another. I thanked her for being a guiding light and for her unwavering support of myself and my family. I reminded her of how she committed her time and money to look after my two children and me. Her eyes brightened when I remembered how she encouraged me and helped me balance my family and office career.

I took that opportunity to express my gratitude to her for standing by my side during difficult times. She still remembers the locations we visited with her on the journey, such as Anuradhapura, Ampara, Polonnaruwa, and Seruwawila. She thanked me and my husband, reminding us of the memorable times we shared. When I asked her to join us on another journey, she laughed and said it was now more difficult to travel such a long distance.

Her favorite food these days is sweets, and while talking, she ate them happily, thanking me for providing them. She sometimes repeated the same thing, which made me smile. She would frequently complain about physical pains in an attempt to gain my attention. Every time I made her happy by forgetting about her pain and accompanying her to our old memories.

That day, I was able to spend a few hours exchanging our memories and wonderful incidents. After enjoying her caring, I had to say goodbye as it was getting dark. She invited me to visit her again soon. I was overjoyed that I could spend quality time with her and express my gratitude.

On the 11/11 day, I slow down and appreciate our journey. I expressed gratitude to and admired my mother-in-law, who had made our lives wonderful.

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