After twenty one years of marriage, my wife wanted me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. That was my mother, who has been a widow for nineteen years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.
That Friday after work, when I arrived at her house, my mother 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.
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.
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.
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. 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.
