Give time to our family
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 time 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.”
