Three Women

This is simply a story about three very different women, three mothers, and the intense, albeit complicated, emotions that they experienced in watching their sons' deaths. This past Easter, while reflecting on the crucification story, I had a thought that Jesus' mother, Mary, might not have been the only family present; what about the two thieves? Did they have family members witness their crucifixion, and if so, how did they react? So, I imagined the reactions of the condemned men's mothers, creating characters whose reactions partially reflect their sons' attitudes, as well as the extremes of emotions that stress and tragedy can bring out in all of us. As a result, the three women's responses/actions are very different, contrasting with each other in all ways but one: each of them was present to witness the death of their son. Although I could have written much more, my goal was a one-thousand-word short story. The choice of narrator was difficult, but I wanted to tell the tale with a voice that was neutral yet compassionate and matter-of-fact about what they were witnessing. Thank you for reading.