Mother's Day 2018 我们的2018年两地母亲节

We spent this year's Mother's Day at our beach house, and explored the nearby creek for scenery as well as langoustines, and spent an afternoon at the misty beach.

My mother and brother and sister across the ocean in China spent the day with a lot of relatives because my mother, aged 99 (101 by luner calendar) and mostly bedridden, is struggling for life. She had wanted to sit up to greet her visitors, but was mostly too weak to do that.

But she used to be strong, very strong. When my father abandoned family to join the revolution, then died for New China, my mother did not abandon me (8 years old) and my brother (3). With a meagre monthly wage of 24 Chinese yuan, she managed to support the family of three for a very very long time.

Still, this is a Mother's Day to celebrate too, for we have all grown up and have our children and grandchildren. Mother is in the loving care of Bro and Sis, and friends and relatives often come to visit.

今年的母亲节，我们相约去我们的海边度假屋过。顺便到小溪去捕小龙虾。小龙虾只捕到四只，但小溪的景色是美不胜收的。雾气蒙蒙的海滩上没有游客，也看不见偶尔游弋而过的鲸鱼。但母亲节的快乐洋溢在每一个人心里。

国内妈妈和弟妹就辛苦得多了，因为弟妹得照顾卧床的妈妈。但妈妈还是接待了许多客人，而且尽力坐起来，或努力挥手。然后弟弟抱起妹妹买的花和教会送的礼物，拢着妈妈坐起来拍了一张照片。

或许，这是最后的照片，最后的会客了。妈妈的臂膀曾经是强壮的。我跟弟弟不用说了，连孙儿楚威，孙女诗园都是她从小带大的。当爸爸抛弃我们而去为新中国献身时，妈妈没有抛弃八岁的我和三岁的弟弟。她用 24 块的临时工工资拉扯了一家三口人，拉扯了很多很多年。如今，101 虚岁的她已经走到人生的尽头。但有儿孙满堂，有亲人环绕，这同样是一个难忘的母亲节。