I Look into the Mirror and Repeat to Myself

A mother, trapped in the comfort of memory and mourning, confronts her grief when she is invited to the wedding of her late son’s childhood sweetheart.

Xuan (8) is struggling to find the perfect outfit for her school’s upcoming Children’s Day celebration. Her sisters are mean, her father authoritarian, her mother busy with the new baby. Xuan tentatively approaches a classmate and makes a new friend.

Using the imagery of gossamer threads and their fragility, I reflect on the things that have scarred me, the things that have hurt me, and the things that have made me.