family circle

Instead of concentrating on the future, I think today I'll write about the present.

Today was Mother's Day, of course. As I was leaving mass, driving out to see my adopted mom, I passed by a cemetery. There were cars everywhere, full of people "visiting" their moms. I thought today about Perry and Mark, John and Tim, Nancy and Bennie, all who are without a mother for the first time this year. Helen missed her Mother's Day well wishes by three days.

My own mother was treated to a lunch at Elkins in Smalltown Alabama. She explained that she had seafood gumbo, which Mr. Elkins rarely puts on the lunch menu. I get the impression that my mother put a bug in the man's ear about how that wasn't fair to the people who didn't eat dinner there, because seafood gumbo magically appeared on the lunch menu for Mother's Day.

Imagine telling someone at Wendy's that they really should serve pancakes. Now imagine them doing it. I promise you, Little Old Ladies (LOL) have a cache of power and influence. I can't wait for mine to kick in. Now, truth be told, I already knew my mom possessed special powers. But what it tells me is that I don't need to worry about them the way I used to. They may need to move from the lake. They may need a house closer to town where they would have less driving to do. But they have a community. They look out for people, and others look out for them. And not just my mom, but my father too.

In fact, I don't think I've ever seen the two of them more involved, as a couple, in their community. Is that a function of working together as a team as they've never done before? As I was growing up, they both had jobs outside the home, both ran in separate circles. Now, it takes the two of them working as a team to get things done.

They are their own circle. And they have other circles around them. And I think that's pretty nice. When I wasn't looking, they found a brand new family. And the family loves them. And in an interesting twist, they love me because they love them. I like that a lot.

I don't know what the future holds for any of us. As an only child, I wonder what will happen. But one thing is official. I don't worry. They have family. We have family.

-Laura