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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 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.
 
 Afte r 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
 Mother sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her li ps.
 "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 wit h 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 m ore 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 can't love the second child as much as you love the
 first....somebody doesn't have two or more children. 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 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 don e 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 lives while you have them....no matter who that person
 is.
 
 Watch your Thoughts, they become words.
 Watch your words, they become actions
 Watch your actions, they become habits.
 Watch your Habits, they become character.
 Watch your Character, for it becomes your Destiny!
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