Love Has Its Surprises
written by: Donnalee Shapiro
Funny how the mind works and even funnier how emotions are evoked. Today, while my husband and I were eating outdoors at our favorite place in Delray, I kept glancing over at 2 women sitting at a high-top table in front of and to the right of me. The woman was probably in her early 60s and it was perhaps her daughter, who appeared to be in her mid to late 30s. I first say that about the younger woman, based solely upon her toned body as seen from the back, and finally, in the end, as they walked out, seeing her face. Anyway, from my angle initially, I could only see the older woman’s face, and there was really nothing in particular that stood out about either one of them, but I couldn’t seem to keep from gazing toward them.
They were just 2 strangers to me, so why the attraction? Well, they were sitting across from one another, each with a cocktail in front of them and each leaning in toward the other. The conversation seemed like it was probably of some concern as the older woman leaned with her elbow on the table, thumb under her chin, and her forefinger across her lip. Twice she removed that finger to say only a few words, and then completely removed her hand from her face, continuing to listen. She looked at times to be in agreement and empathetic.
These 2 random women, seemingly mother and daughter, sharing a drink and deep conversation, reminded me of those times I treasured so long ago with my own mother. The emotions that slowly welled up within me became deeply profound. I couldn’t stop myself from feeling emotional and choked up at those memories of times that were now gone. I wanted to have those moments back again with my own mother. I longed for her smile, to feel her love, to hear her voice, to have her once again as my confidant and best friend. I just wanted her at that very moment, right there at that high-top table, her eyes connecting with mine, knowing that she had my back no matter what. It is now, though, when I am perhaps the happiest I’ve ever been in my life, that I truly miss my mother and wish I could share this happiness with her.
When thoughts and feelings keep spinning around inside me, sometimes for hours, days, or even weeks, believe it or not, I’m looking for some sort of perspective. I’m looking for meaning, for answers, and I’m frequently asking myself why or why not?
To that end, the answer I discovered quite surprisingly was the fact that two total strangers, perhaps totally unaware of our own presence within that shared space, had the uncanny ability to evoke memories and incredibly strong emotions, yet having absolutely no idea of their impact upon me. But then again, of course… how could they?
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