Woman In the Painting

Woman In the Painting
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 11:36pm

82 years ago--1927, the year of the rabbit---my mom was born on November 2 on the lunar calendar, which falls on December 17 on the solar calendar this year.

I stood gazing at this painting mom had done in early 90s after her retirement. There is a beautiful young woman sitting leisurely under the banana tree, a fan in one hand, waiting or resting? What's on her mind? And what went through mom's mind when she drew this? Mom never talked about her work. She enjoyed her art as quietly as she endured hardship.

There was nothing leisurely about mom's life before her retirement. Like millions back in those days she grew up in war torn China, suffered deathly losses ( her mother and brother), and had to flee the Communists from Mainland to the island of Taiwan in 1949. There she settled down to life with dad a military man, raising four children in the military village. She worked full time as a teacher; walked most days to open air markets to get groceries for the family of six. She fanned the little coal stove to cook and hand washed all laundry. I still remember the excitement over our first ice box cooled by huge chunks of ice delivered to our door, and the first black and white TV. Mom sewed most of our clothes and raised chickens in the small yard for eggs and meat.

Mom has been gone three months now, or maybe I should say her life was "completed" three months ago. I say this because she was very happy and satisfied with her life. I wonder if the woman in the painting feels the same way.