Taking Mom to Lunch

My mother is 82, though she looks much younger, a fact of which she is quite proud. A few years ago, a waitress assumed we were a couple, much to my chagrin and much to Mom's delight. She is the woman, who after reading a book on taking risks, decided to paraglide for the first time at 80.Today, we went to lunch as we try to do at least monthly, if not more often.

As we talked and reminisced about my father, stepfather, sisters, other personal events, and even shared a bit of gossip, I realized how important these lunches are. With age, my urge to rebel is not nearly as strong nor is the need to argue and win my points. Instead, we each accept who we are.

We both walk spiritual paths, the roads being different but the destination the same.Mom's eyes lit up when she shared her joy about helping a young person spiritually. I chuckled at the fact that she still takes pleasure in a man's appreciative look.

Like many of us, though Mom's body is in its eighth decade, her mind still feels like she is in her thirties. I, too, am frozen in a time warp until I look into the mirror. A dear friend lost his mother last week. In his e-mails to me, he spoke eloquently of the impact and imprints she had left during her earthly walk.

Perhaps that awareness of his loss made this lunch with my mother especially special. Understanding that this earthly time is finite encourages me to focus on the important things, including taking Mom to lunch.

Bob Casey is a poet, writer, educator, speaker, and presenter. He has cycled, hiked, sailed, and traveled to many far off destinations. He also spent a year on a teaching Fulbright in New Zealand. His many interests, include yoga, Tai Chi, skiing, cycling, photography, and wine collecting.

"Poet Bob," as his car license plate declares, is currently president of the Ohio Poetry Association. This position allows him to interact with some of America's best poets. His first book, The Wanderer: A Poetical Journey published in 2002, focused on his around the world trip and the insights gained. His most recent book, Wisdom from the Journey, offers a diverse selection of poems, comments, vignettes, and recommendations complied from the "best" of his monthly e-zine, the Poetical Journal, which reaches over 13,000 subscribers worldwide. As one reader states, "?In a world of discontent, malice, greed and wars, the Poetical Journal is an oasis to nourish the soul." His next book will be out late in 2006.

To read more of his work, go to http://www.poeticaljourneys.com.

By: Bob Casey