I remember the first time I saw Madame Butterfly with my mother. I remember watching her rise and fall with the eponymous character. I remember the intimacy of hearing it in our native language, as it was written. I remember asking my mother what drove her to a state of remembrance, which arch of her narrative led her to juxtapose herself to a woman whose situation was tantamount to slavery. I remember watching her always soft blue eyes grow sad and her voice nearly effervescent, as if trying to hide what was visible to me, as she said: “my son, you are an extraordinary young man, born with talent and charm that even your closest siblings envy, but you are young and crass, unwise and learned in matters of heart and virtue. You, my beloved son, have so much to learn, so much to gain, so much to lose before you are ready to understand the answers you seek”. I do not remember when I, too, felt myself rise and fall with that eponymous character. But, as is often the case, my beloved mother was right. #delraybeach #florida #viewsfromthecondo #💐 #vsco #vscocam (at Delray Beach, Florida)
