Mother and Son

 

It was a sunny day of May 28, 2017 in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. I got a call on my hotel intercom from my colleague detailing our plan to first visit a botanical garden followed by a car racing event (NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series) on Charlotte motor speedway. Being an introvert and fighting my little social anxiety issues, going out to a crowded places has always been challenging. However, I din’t want to be a spoil sport and finally decided to go with the team.

After boarding a luxurious ride (courtesy: LYFT) reached our first destination, The Daniel Stowe Botanical garden. After check-in, me and my team members engaged ourselves in a favourite time pass of modern India called “Photo Sessions”. After crossing several fountains, lawns and trees, we reached at fountain bridge. Everyone seems to be enjoying the cool breeze from the fountain. After taking some pictures of flowers, exotic plants, sculptures and a quote carved on a park bench reading “There are many paths that can lead us to our destiny, enjoy the one you have chosen” (It was quiet refreshing thought as I was dealing with a big change myself of moving from one city to another city without knowing what to expect). After walking few more steps, my eyes went on a beautiful sculpture of a Lady holding a boy with her head held high . When I went nearby to read the signboard, it read “Mother and Son”.

 

It was a beautiful feeling and a good reason to thank my mother for all the love and care she had given to raise me while fighting with all the odds, I am happy that she is in a better place where worries do not exists. Overwhelmed with emotions, I started looking around and after some time, I found a mother and son taking pictures with that statue to mark their moment. She would not miss a moment to interact, take pictures, explain little things to her Son who himself is a grown man but for her, he would always be that little boy. More I observed them, more I realised that maternal love is same everywhere unconditional, pious and heartwarming. I was glad that I decided to come along for this trip and not sit at my boring hotel room completing my scotch.

We then moved to NASCAR racing event but my soul still wandering somewhere near that sculpture and galaxy of thoughts pouring in my mind as to what could have been the inspiration of that sculptor who had decided to turn a block of stone into to a masterpiece which would inspire people for the decades to come.  Suddenly, my thoughts were shattered by the thundering sound those cars would make and we forgetting to take ear plugs was cherry on the cake. We could hardly survive 50 laps and were forced out of the stadium. All in all, a great day.

Friends, we get millions of opportunities to make our loved ones feel special and yet most of them are lost in waiting for a special occasions like ‘Friendship Day’, ‘Mother’s Day’, ‘Father’s Day’, ‘Veteran’s Day’ or ‘Valentine’s Day’. Please don’t wait for the right time as time is not waiting for you.

Thank you.

RK Joshi

(Perfectly Imperfect)