There are places I'll remember all my life, though some have changed....

It happens so suddenly and so randomly. It's not like I am pining for my Mom, it was her time to go, but the situations in which I think of her are more often than I would have thought.  I walk past a storefront and see silk flowers in the window and think "oh, I was going to buy Mom some silk flowers to replace those stupid plastic ones in her room."  I read an article in the NY Times that she would have liked. I often printed out articles and opinion pieces and mailed them to Mom because she still read a lot and she appreciated reading good things. I walk past a See's Candy shop and I walk in to get a piece of candy and I want to tell the woman who sells me this candy that the last time I was in this store was to buy my Mom four of their truffles  because Mom loved See's Candy. But I just buy my lemon truffle and say nothing. I hear a Bob Dylan song and I remember that Dylan was banned from our house in the 1960's because Mom thought he was subversive. And I want to joke with Mom about that.

I drink a little Irish Whiskey and I wish I had brought Mom a taste of it in the last month or so because she liked Bushmills. And she loved her brandy Manhattans, I should have snuck one into her room now and then. These are things that don't make me regretful, they just remind me of Mom.

And the list goes on and on. It's not a sad recollection, of course, it's simply a reminder to do what you want when you want it.  Mom did a lot of things in her life, but there is so much now that gives me a nudge about how short our time is and how rich we can make it if we make the choices we want. 

I hope this doesn't sound too flowery or weepy or whatever. It is just what's on my mind right now.

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