“WHY THE LAST KISS WAS INTENSE”
“Motherly love has no match”
The last moment I saw my mother is something I will never forget. I had worked so hard to fulfill my ambition of studying abroad, and that day came when I finally left home. I had received admission to a highly regarded institution abroad, and now I had the opportunity to succeed and live the life I had always dreamed of.
Even still, despite my excitement for this new beginning, I was overcome with melancholy. The little village where I was raised, the cosy house I had lived in my whole life, and most importantly, my loving mother, would be the only lives I would be leaving behind.
She had supported me during the whole process. She used to cook my favourite foods, sing me to sleep, and console me after a horrible dream when I was a kid. She loved me without condition and supported all of my goals and objectives as I grew older. Since we were so close, it was nearly unbearable to consider being apart from her.
I made an effort not to cry as I said goodbye to her the day I was leaving. However, the floodgates erupted as she drew me in close and planted a tender kiss on my forehead. I collapsed and clung to her, crying furiously.
With a shaky voice, she muttered, “Shh, it’s alright my darling.” “I’m so happy for you. You have a tremendous opportunity, and I have no doubt that you will excel.”
She held my face in her palms and met my eyes with a sad and happy expression. “You will be sorely missed. However, I want you to swear to me that you’ll take care of yourself and work hard. And never forget that you will always have a home here with me, no matter how far away you are.”
After that, she pulled me in for one more hug and planted a tender, long-lasting kiss on my cheek. Her steadfast support and the pain of having to say goodbye overtook me at that time. It was the final occasion when I would experience her comforting touch and warmth.
I stared at her the entire time I was on the plane till she was out of sight. And in the days and weeks that followed, I held on to that last kiss as a memento of the house and my mother, whom I had left behind. It was a bittersweet memory.
It has been nearly eleven years since my mother’s death today. I now understand why that final kiss was so intensely emotional and filled with maternal love. It surpassed all love of this world and was sweeter than honey. Perhaps my mother understood not only that the kiss was the last, but so was the meeting. ………“That was indeed the last kiss”
