After21yearsofmarriage,mywifewantedmetotakeanotherwomanouttodinnerandamovie.Theotherwomanmywifewantedmetovisitwasmymother,whohasbeenawidowfor19years,butthedemandsofmyworkandmythreechildrenhadmadeitpossibletovisitheronlyoccasionally.
ThatFridayafterwork,whenIarrivedatherhouse,mymotherwaitedinthedoorwithhercoaton.Shehadcurledherhairandwaswearingthedressthatshehadworntocelebrateherlastweddinganniversary.
Wewenttoarestaurantthat,althoughnotelegant,wasveryniceandcozy.MymothertookmyarmasifsheweretheFirstLady.
Duringthedinner,wehadanagreeableconversationnothingextraordinarybutcatchinguponrecenteventsofeachother’slife.Wetalkedsomuchthatwemissedthemovie.
Aswearrivedatherhouselater,shesaid,“I’llgooutwithyouagain,butonlyifyouletmeinviteyou.”Iagreed.
Afewdayslater,mymotherdiedofamassiveheartattack.IthappenedsosuddenlythatIdidn’thaveachancetodoanythingforher.
Sometimelater,IreceivedanenvelopewithacopyofarestaurantreceiptfromthesameplaceMotherandIhaddined.Anattachednotesaid:“Ipaidthisbillinadvance.Iwasn’tsurethatIcouldbethere;but,nevertheless,Ipaidfortwoplates—oneforyouandtheotherforyourwife.Youwillneverknowwhatthatnightmeantforme.Iloveyou,son.”
Atthatmoment,Iunderstoodtheimportanceofsayingintime:‘IloveYOU’andtogiveourlovedonesthetimethattheydeserve.
Nothinginlifeismoreimportantthanyourfamily.Givethemthetimetheydeserve,becausethesethingscannotbeputofftillsome“other”time.