I watch you supporting your mother with strong, gentle hands. You’ve thought about this restaurant, you’ve chosen a place where we can manoeuvre the wheelchair easily, where she’ll like the food, where she can look out over the sea and a place she came as a child. It’s lovely here. The sun is shining, the autumn leaves are red and gold against the blue sky. After lunch we wheel your mother down to the seafront, and buy soft, white ice-cream, and she talks about her memories of coming here as a young girl. I watch you listening to her, and I love you for your kindness.
Leaves dance against blue
Sun sparkles on blue water
Remember summer
Sarah writes poems 
I think kindness can be contagious… it would be the best epidemic the world has seen. Let us look for kindness and feel it warm ourselves to more.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good point. Seeing kindness between others makes us kind and loving as well. We don’t even have to be the one who is being kind or receiving the kindness for kindness to bind us together.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I do believe that. Witnessing kindness does something to you. Makes you feel like you’re a part of something.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This makes me quite sad. I am not there yet, but I feel the celebration of life before the passing. Helping the person go gently into the night. There is a warm breeze of memory in that summer, in my humble opinion. What a blessing to witness. and it would cause me to love them all the more because it hold future promise in how they would treat me.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you. It was a lovely afternoon. Generally my husband works too hard, and rushes from place to place, so I think he was glad to be able to slow down and go at his mum’s pace.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kindness is a hard notion to get to grips with. Your example is a touching one;
LikeLike
What a beautiful, heartfelt observation, Sarah! You have conveyed to us not only the kindness of your husband but also the love you have for him. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This reminded me so much of the kindness my son extends to me. Touching and beautifully written.
LikeLike
Pingback: Kindness Beyond Altruism – Poetry, Short Prose and Walking
Thank you for sharing about kindness … and for inspiring Frank in his sharing (I found you through his post today). Blessings to you! Debbie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much! You are very welcome.
LikeLike
Such a lovely encounter to witness kindness between a son or daughter, to their old mother ~ I believe the mother was also kind and very loving when the son or daughter was young; so the bond is now stronger ~ Thanks for sharing Sarah ~
LikeLike
Beautiful, Sarah! Seeing kindness in others is inspiring.
LikeLike
I really enjoyed reading this. I can see her sitting there, facing the ocean reflecting on earlier days. And not in a sad way. A lovely haibun. Nicely done.
LikeLike
This is kindness and love itself. How very lovely. I resonate with that aging woman, remembering her girlhood. She has a good son and daughter-in-law.
LikeLike
I apologize for getting to your submission so late. I lost internet (!) yesterday during the prompt and just got it back sometime early this morning. What a lovely, heart crying haibun this is. I love your husband’s care of his mother. I love that you love him the more. Being kind to anyone is such an amazing thing to witness. Blessings to you all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you! I’m trying to keep my haibuns in the here and now this year, as a kind of journal, so this was very fresh. Thank you for a lovely prompt.
LikeLike
Thank you. Actually, haibun are supposed to be written in the here and now!
LikeLiked by 2 people
How old is the form?
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is just absolutely, touchingly lovely.
LikeLiked by 1 person