yesterday was my parents’ 63rd wedding anniversary. i asked my mom where she’d like to eat to celebrate this special day. i put out my three fingers – sushi, chinese or american? she typically points to the finger she wants since words aren’t usually accessible. but this time, she looked at me with big eyes and with great effort said,
“sushi”.
and i exploded in laughter! and she quickly joined me.
all day, she’d been thinking about eating sushi, and all day, my dad had been trying to convince her that she wanted chinese instead (he’s not a fan of japanese food). when she said “sushi”, with such determination and clarity, the laughter she and i shared was really about the joy of being heard, the joy of the freedom to express a personal and strong desire, the joy of being respected.
and because it was their anniversary, my dad complied with a smile.
for some reason, last night’s sushi tasted really good!
livingthroughtheheart 