((( MOTHER! )))

Wednesday afternoon, while minding my business and scanning the men's button-down shirt aisle at a secondhand shop near our house, I heard a lady calling "mother!" 

I didn't think that was meant for me. You see, some of my friends call me Mother Lili. 

"MOTHER!" 

It was said at a volume high enough to be heard across the room behind aisles and aisles of secondhand clothes. 

After hearing it the second time, I knew she was calling me. 

It was my friend Yeng-Yeng. We've known each other since 2002, and I haven't seen her since last year. We also exchanged text messages last year. 

We were supposed to see each other at her mom's birthday celebration in late June, but we couldn't make it because our kids, who are based in Brooklyn, are home to celebrate Jay and my birthday for the whole weekend. We went canoeing at a manmade lake a few towns away. 

Yeng-Yeng and I immediately caught up with our hugs; I miss yous, and I love yous in the middle of the store. 

We also had to take a photo together because who knows when we'll see each other again (although we live not far from each other.)

P.S. Jay tried so hard to strategically take this photo to exclude the lady behind us.