"Do you love him?"
Not at all what I was expecting, and a shock to be asked, but the answer came easily, "yes".
"And do you have fun together? It's important, you know, that you have fun together."
Four days later, when I had to speak at her funeral, my recital of our last real conversation had changed, not ready to admit to my family the truth that she knew. Thrown in with the story about losing her teeth and finding them in a dumpster, I reminded everyone that this woman not only showed me how to have fun, she made certain at the very end that I knew just how important it was to live my life, and how positively this joie de vivre had impacted the way she lived hers for 87 years.
The lesson sticks with me, on days when I want to run and hide, or banish the children to their room, I remember that what I am doing is having fun, even if it masquerades as tireless, and occasionally thankless, mothering.
For the rest of my life I am grateful to the person who knew me well enough to ask the question I was not ready to answer.
"Be good to each other" she said, and we are.
2 comments:
omg. I'm verklempt. Very good and to the point!
crying. must have needed to hear this today. thank you.
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