Holding on, letting go

Text by Lidia Huerta Domingo Illustration by Fernanda Peralta

As the door opened, there she was. If sunshine were a person, it would be her. That first hug was the complex combination of glorious comfort and the heart-wrenching tangible possibility of her absence. The hug, filled with nothing but love, gave me an insight into her physical state. It sank in – it was all real.

Some of us are privileged enough not to have to contemplate our mortality daily. Watching my mum, a person enamoured with life, struggle with her illness, taught me the conflicting and messy emotions that come with realising that our lives can end at any moment. Mortality helps us see ourselves more clearly but can also bring a level of anxiety that can feel almost unbearable.

Holding on, letting go

Text by Lidia Huerta Domingo Illustration by Fernanda Peralta