The author reflects on the experience of mourning his mother, detailing moments of grief intertwined with unexpected distractions. After their mother's passing, he and his brother find solace in watching mixed martial arts, despite the heaviness of their situation. This juxtaposition of grief and the absurdity of a violent sport reveals their struggle to cope with loss in a uniquely American context. The narrative captures the bittersweet nature of family connections and rituals surrounding death, illuminating the emotional distance and bond between siblings as they navigate their mother’s death together.
"This spectacle of combat, which has coursed through our civilizations at least since the days of the Roman Colosseum, felt both quintessentially and absurdly American now as we sat, motherless..."
"My relatives took turns holding vigil beside the body upstairs. Then it was my turn, and then my brother's, and we went back upstairs and circled my mother's bed..."
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