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Being a Mother
After 21 years of marriage, My wife wanted me to take another woman out to
dinner and a movie. She said, "I love you, but I know this
other woman loves you and would love to spend some with
you."
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER,
who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my
work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only
occasionally.
That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. "What's
wrong, are you well," she asked? My mother is the type of woman
who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is
a sign of bad news.
"I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," I responded.
"Just the two of us." She thought about it for a moment,
and then said, "I would like that very much."
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous.
When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed
to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She
had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that
she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary.
She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel's. "I told my
friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,"
she said, as she got into the car. "They can't wait to hear about our
meeting."
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and
cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady.
After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read
large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw
Mom sitting there
staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips.
"It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were
small," she said. "Then it's time that you relax and let me return
the favor," I responded.
During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation- nothing extraordinary
but catching up on recent events of each other's life. We
talked so much that we missed the movie.
As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I'll go out with you again,
but only if you let me invite you." I agreed.
"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home. "Very
nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.
A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened
so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her.
Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt
from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note
said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there;
but nevertheless, I paid for two plates - one for you and the
other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for
me. I love you, son."
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: "I LOVE
YOU" and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve.
Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time
they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till "some
other time."
Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you've
had a baby .... somebody doesn't know that once you're a mother,
"normal" is history.
Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct ... somebody
never took a three-year-old shopping.
Somebody said being a mother is boring ... somebody
never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a driver's permit.
Somebody said if you're a "good" mother, your child will "turn out good"....somebody
thinks a child comes with directions and a guarantee.
Somebody said "good" mothers never raise their voices .... somebody
never came out the back door just in time to see her child
hit a golf ball through the neighbor's kitchen window.
Somebody said you don't need an education to be a mother.... somebody
never helped a fourth grader with his math.
Somebody said you can't love the second child as much as you love
the first .... somebody doesn't have two children.
Somebody said a mother can find all the answers to her child-rearing
questions in the books.... somebody
never had a child stuff beans up his nose or in his ears.
Somebody said the hardest part of being a mother is labor and delivery....somebody
never watched her "baby" get on the bus for the
first day of kindergarten .. or on a plane headed for military
"boot camp."
Somebody said a mother can do her job with her eyes closed and one
hand tied behind her back ...somebody never organized seven
giggling Brownies to sell cookies.
Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married....somebody
doesn't know that marriage adds a new son or
daughter-in-law to a mother's heartstrings.
Somebody said a mother's job is done when her last child leaves home....somebody
never had grandchildren.
Somebody said your mother knows you love her, so you don't need to
tell her.... somebody isn't a mother.
Pass this along to all the "mothers" in your life, and to everyone who
ever had a mother.
This isn't just about being a mother, it's about appreciating the people
in your life while you have them....no matter who that person
is.
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