My Amma

I vaguely remember the gray chair that sat in my parents' shower. She held my hand as I used every bit of strength to sit on the cold metal and caressed my back to calm my tears. As she reached to turn the water on, I leaned over, covering my left knee from any moisture that may irritate the wounds. I gasped for air between each cry as I let the warm water hit my body. My amma stood behind me, fully clothed and soaked, running her hands through my hair and massaging my scalp to soothe my body. After she turned the water off, she held my body up and hugged me tightly as I attempted to step over the three inch ledge at the door of the shower. I sat on the corner of the tub, shaking from the pain as my nerves began to wake up after the numbness from surgery. Amma stole an old t-shirt from the back of my dad’s closet and gently slid it over my head. I remembered the times before preschool when I stood in front of her while she was on her knees, holding her shoulders for stability as she slipped a pair of pink pants over my tiny legs. 

Tearing my ACL was life-changing because my favorite hobby and stress-reliever is working out. Losing the ability to do what I love for almost a year affected my mental and physical health. Although I spent weeks asking why it happened to me, Amma never felt bad for me. She pushed me to work hard to live normally as soon as possible and prayed for me and my health every single day. Without her help and motivation, I would’ve never stopped feeling bad for myself. My amma has shown me how lucky I am to be supported and loved by such caring people. After surgery, she dedicated all of her time towards helping me, no matter what I needed. Driving me to every doctor’s appointment, going up and down the stairs for everything I needed, and bringing me food, water, and love whenever I needed it. My amma, through her love and understanding, has taught me to never give up. 

When humans are in poor health, people need emotional and physical help, especially from family. Kinship can be ascribed, but the way that family chooses to love and care is chosen.