IT’S NEVER TOO LATE
Love is a wonderful and powerful thing.
Mother has been on my mind quite a bit, of late. She does well mentally albeit the usual aging issues. Maybe not as quick at times, but she’s not suffering from dementia or worse. Hey, who among us doesn’t experience the same? Little victories, right? Physically, her poor body has been ravaged. Bouts with cancer and other maladies have taken quite the toll on a once physically beautiful woman. (She’s still beautiful to her family.)
Mom was outside the other day and a little girl came up to her and said, “Hey Mister, do you know what kind of bug this is?” Mom just smiled and told her what it was. The little girl was confused after hearing her speak and said, “Are you a lady?” Mom explained to her that she was, and just looked kind of like a man because she had been sick. My mother is 81 years old. She lost my stepdad fifteen years ago. She has no chest, no hair, and lymph-edema in her left arm. The list goes on and on. She’s a trouper. She puts on her prosthetic breasts and her wigs and carries on.
Recently, concerns have deepened, as Mom is having “episodes”. My brother, daughter and myself are all far away. It’s scary because there is no one left where she lives that can help. In our collective minds, we all feel she is “checking out” soon. Pleading, threatening, cajoling, bribing have not worked in getting her to move. She won’t move in with any of us and she won’t move closer. So, the Mountains have to come to Muhammad. She’s as stubborn as a mule.
Yesterday, she was out digging in her yard. She was in a ratty old t-shirt covered in dirt, was not wearing her prosthesis and pulling a wagon of yard “stuff”. A man was taking a walk down her street and noticed Mom. He made a remark about what a beautiful day it was. She responded in kind. They struck a conversation and she learned he was born the same year as she. A bit further in the conversation, they exchanged phone numbers. Turned out, he lives right around the corner.
Lo and behold, he called her today. They talked for an hour. He told her that he didn’t know quite how to do this, so he was going to be aggressive and call right away. He decided that life is short and each day he was going to do something joyful. He wondered if she would like to take a ride sometime or go get ice cream at the nearby Krekel’s? He told her he loved comedies and old movies. He offered to provide references to his character if she required. He told her that he considered himself somewhat boring, but he was honest and happy.
My mother was giddy. She called me today and talked an hour. She was nervous. She thought he was so tall and lean. She told me everything…he rides his bicycle 2 hours every day. His wife died 3 years ago. She thought it was “so cute” that he offered character references for her safety. Basically, it reminded me of girl talk we did back in high school.
But basically, this call filled me with complete joy. Mom was happy. She had a Crush. She said this was something “she never expected to happen again, in her hideous physical state and at her age.” She told him she would love to go for a ride in his truck and that “she might even throw on a little makeup and maybe an earring.” (She has a dry, twisted sense of humor — love it). He told her none of that mattered to him.
This is the best phone call I have received in years. Love is what I feel listening to her happiness. Crush-Love is what she feels for someone she barely knows. It may not be romantic yet and hell, it might not turn out to be anything, but who does not love this story? She is emotionally struck and that has evoked wonderful feelings, she thought long gone. Today’s happy phone call is providing a ripple effect of hope, even to me.
Just goes to show, it’s NEVER too late. I will keep everyone posted…too good not to share.
