SHOULDER TO CRY ON
My mother used to ask me, “What is the most important part of the body?” Through the years, I would take a guess at what I thought was the correct answer. When I was younger, I thought sound was very important to us as humans, so I said, “My ears, Mommy.” She said, “No. Many people are deaf. But you keep thinking about it and I will ask you again, soon.”
Several years passed before she asked me again. Since making my first attempt, I had contemplated the correct answer. So, this time I told her, “Mommy, sight is very important to everybody, so it must be our eyes.” She looked at me and told me, “You are learning fast, but the answer is not correct because there are many people who are blind.”
Stumped again, I continued my quest for knowledge and over the years, Mother asked me a
couple more times and always, her answer was, “No. But you are getting smarter every year, my child.”
Then last year, my grandpa died. Everybody was hurt. Everybody was crying.
Even my father cried. I remember that especially because it was only the second time I saw him cry. My Mom looked at me when it was our turn to say our final good-bye to Grandpa. She asked me, “Do you know the most important body part yet, my dear?”
I was shocked when she asked me this now. I always thought this was a game between her and me. She saw the confusion on my face and said to me: “This question is very important. It shows that you have really lived in your life...READ MORE
