In this week’s writing challenge, we are to write a post using three photographs for inspiration. As I scrolled through the photographs, it was very easy for me to choose A Tribute to Mom by Cardinal Guzman, three beautiful images that immediately tripled my heartbeat. I digested the photos, paused, and wrote what I have included below. I suppose at times when the heart needs to be heard, it’s best to give it an ear. I listened, and this is the result. A tribute to Mom.
Photos: A Tribute to Mom by Cardinal Guzman
My heart leapt for joy, while my spirit searched for the chards of sorrow that may have slipped by me in the tilted night. I wrapped my arms around my wife and watched our embrace in the morning mirror – like our tired eyes, fogged by the absurdity of our circumstances.
My chin dug deep into her shoulder, soft from the long journey behind us. We squeezed as if we could both capture the moment and wind back time. Keep it just as it was, but change everything. Disbelief, as it tends to do, lingered in the still air and on the bathroom walls around us. To puncture its hold, I willed the tears to follow a salted crease in a face of a stranger that stared back at me.
So much had changed in the time it took for my reflection to reach me. The color in my face was gone, and so was Mom. Lost from us, but found in that moment. That absurd moment, where my wife and I paid tribute to Mom.
We had feigned goodbye to her just hours earlier. The service was intended to be a celebration, the wounds just too real to honor that intent. With no real interest in judging time, friends came and went and the noise stopped for just long enough to know the night would be long.
In the morning, everything changed.
“Are you sure?” I asked, quiet to accept the early hour.
She showed me the proof.
“I’m so happy,” I said.
Tears caught purchase. Air escaped my lungs and brought with it a voice that needed to be heard. Laughter. Soft, absurd laughter. Exchanged between two tired souls that danced in a mirror, the air no longer still, the moment freed from our embrace. Our hearts freed from the sorrow, laden deeper in disbelief. Our damp faces rubbed together to find a smile we haven’t stopped to break.
A blessing in a bathroom on a son’s darkest day. We’d grieve as two, but were soon to be three. Our son, a gift from Mom.
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https://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/03/03/writing-challenge-threes/
http://cardinalguzman.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/a-tribute-to-mom/
Categories: DPChallenge
eternal Domnation 
Profoundly written from the depths of your soul, this recollection has touched my heart. Beautifully portrayed.
Thank you so much, I am so humbled that something I have written would touch your heart. I really appreciate it,t hank you again.
What a beautiful moment, and really well-written. I always knew your little son was special, but I had no idea he was such a gift. Thank you for sharing that, been thinking of Mair a lot lately. Love you all.
Read. Digested. Halted. Released. Affected, obviously. A beautiful contrasting, Dominic. Thanks for sharing your deep thoughts and experience.
Awesome, thank you Eric. Always enjoy and appreciate your feedback – “affected” is an incredible compliment.
Obviously your story made its way into other hearts. Beautiful and evocative. I always enjoy your descriptions. I would just say morning mirror
morning’s mirror
and …air escaped my lung (not from bc it’s implied in the escape)
but that’s your call.
Always feel free to delete/tummy tuck my comment.
Diana
Thanks, Diana. Good catches too, agree with both! 🙂
My friend, you are SUCH an amazing writer! Please let me read your book! Hugs!
Beautiful.
Simply gorgeous!
Thank you! Really appreciate it!
BEAUTIFUL, Dom.
Rock on, thanks Tom.
“A blessing in a bathroom on a son’s darkest day. We’d grieve as two, but were soon to be three. Our son, a gift from Mom.” I love this line. 🙂
Wow, thank you so much. I really love that line, to. In fact, the piece was in large part driven by that final line. Thanks again, really appreciate your kind words of support!
This was really emotionally written and a great read. Thanks for sharing this beautifully written story. I wish could write like that, but I guess I’ll stick to photography 🙂
hahaha, well if i can write the way you take photographs I’d be on cloud nine! Thanks again for the inspiration, this was a really inspiring weekly challenge from the folks at wordpress – I’m so glad you were involved!
It was very inspiring for me too and I agree that this was a great challenge – bot for writers and photographers. It also made me discover blogs that I wouldn’t have done without WordPress making the connections.