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 impossible 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 f or 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 evertheless, I
paid for two plate s - 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 theydeserve.
Nothing in life is more important than God and your
family.Give them the time they deserve, because these
things cannot be put off till "some other time."

Pass this along to everyone with an aging parent, to a
child, to an adult, to anyone with a parent. Here's
hoping today is better than yesterday and
tomorrow is even better!


One of the best things to hold onto in this world is a Friend.