Mother's Day

Mother's day began at 8:30. My friend picked me up in her car, and I went with her to visit her mother in Keelung- a town about 20 minutes north of Taipei. We arrived in the fresh mountain air to a temple looking out over the vast Taiwanese landscape. I waited with my friend as she brought her fruit to the altar, as a gift to the gods. We sat down quietly in the temple and chatted about nonsense- sharing riddles, talking about religion, and remembering her mother.

Once the ceremony was finished, we walked outside and burned gold and silver money as further offerings. She waited until the end to place a lovely mother's day card, with a sweet rose attached to the envelope, gently in the stove. We watched as her card turned to ash and was delivered to her mother in a solemn and tender manner.

We then looked over the vast, expanding mountains- her mother loved the mountains- as the sun was shining light over the entire earth. We all thought about our memories and our mothers. A wind came in and the weather turned unexpectedly cold. Ash from the stove was swirling and blowing around us- a snowstorm of burnt love letters, photographs, and mother's day card floating, assuredly, up into heaven.

We got back in the car, shared one last view with her mom, and drove home.