"A woman who's never hungry around me" by PQHAÜS
"A woman who's never hungry around me" by PQHAÜS
(Acrylic on canvas / 16x20 inches / 2023)
When I went to Denny’s late at night a few months ago, there was a waitress constantly watching over a little kid eating alone at the window table. I just thought she was simply paying extra attention to him as it was late at night and he was a little kid without an adult figure. But then as I was about to leave,I saw the waitress lady, now out of uniform, sitting across from the little kid. She looked exhausted and weary but she constantly asked the kid if he wanted to get anything else from the menu when she didn’t even have her own plate on the table.
From being a child to becoming the guardian of a child, being a parent is truly one of the most raw and harsh experiences anyone can go through. I was particularly struck by this imagery of a mother and her son, as the sacrifices she was making for him were brutally raw and beautiful. It reminded me of all the opportunities and experiences my own parents sacrificed in order to raise me as a human being, even though they themselves didn’t have a clear roadmap on how to be a good parent.
Your piece struck a chord because it reminded me of a time when I was caring for my elderly mother. She never complained about food, even when her appetite faded after surgery, but she would always make sure the kitchen smelled inviting and that the table was set beautifully. I found myself constantly checking the fridge, preparing small, nutritious dishes, and watching her eat slowly, savoring each bite https://www.iagr.org/ It was less about feeding her and more about the quiet reassurance that she was being looked after. The way you describe that woman’s constant presence, never hungry for attention, feels oddly similar to the steady, unspoken support I gave my mother. It made me realize how often we overlook the…