Beth: (Coming in and sitting down at the table)
Hi, Sandy, sorry I lost you on my cell phone. I figured I’d just stop on my way home from Wal-mart and see what you wanted. I have a crazy day ahead and didn’t know if you would be able to reach me again. What did you need?
Sandy: I’m glad you stopped in, Beth. Would you like a cup of tea?
Beth: No, no.. I don’t have time. I have to stop over to the church and copy some songs for choir tonight and then I have to run over to where Steve is working today and take him some drill bits he needed. Gosh, you think he could run his own errands!
Sandy: Well, I’m sure he appreciates you helping out.
Beth: He had better. It took me 20 minutes to find the right ones. Anyway, what did you want? Was it important?
Sandy: Well, I was wondering about Mother’s Day. I thought of something we might do this year for Mom that would be a little different but fun.
Beth: Speaking of Mom.. she’s has been driving me crazy lately. She calls me every morning just to say and “Hi” and asked what I’m going to do with my day. She knows how busy I am. Like I have time to give her the run down on every detail of my life.
Sandy: It’s nice she cares.
Beth: I wish she didn’t care quite so much. I mean, really, Sandy, I am always on the move and I just don’t have the time to sit and listen to her tell me about all the birds that visited her feeder that morning especially the cute little chicka-something or other.
Then she has to tell me how she’s going to make cookies for the Jones family that lives across from her. You know that ones with all those kids. She knows all 6 of them by name. I swear she sits all day and watches out the window to see what they are up to. She knows so much about them. She had to tell me this morning all the details of how little Tommy got bit by a dog and that 5 year old Sarah learned to ride her bike yesterday. Yikes, like I really care!
Sandy: She’s lonely and she loves those kids. Maybe she thinks you are interested in the things of her life, like she is yours, Beth.
Beth: Interested in my life? That’s a joke. My life is more like a ring circus. I just don’t get her laid back outlook on life. Who has time to do a bird count every morning and know the names of all the neighborhood kids, for crying out loud!!
Sandy: Do you want to hear my idea, Beth?
Beth: Okay, but make it quick. I have to be to the eye doctor by 1:00 and I have to get home to get my groceries put away. Then I am going over to Gina’s to help her put up a border around her kitchen. Why I said yes to that I’ll never know..
Sandy: I wonder why you say “yes” to a lot of things.
Beth: Well, what’s that suppose to mean?
Sandy: You just seem so run ragged lately.
Beth: I am run ragged! But that’s not your problem… So what’s your idea for mother’s day?
Sandy: Let’s take Mom out for the whole day on Saturday.. we never do that anymore, like we use to. Mother and daughter day, remember. Start out with breakfast at Bob Evans and slip over to Volant to browse through the little shops. Mom loves to do that and since she doesn’t drive…
Beth: Hold it! Hold it! You mean take a whole day and just loaf? Can’t we just buy her a special little gift like we usually do? You can’t be serious!
Sandy: Doesn’t that sound heavenly? Take the whole day and spend it just being together, doing or not doing whatever we want.. It’s a gift I know she’ll love.
Beth: Are you crazy? I can’t do that. Saturday is my cleaning day and then I have to give that stupid dog of ours a hair cut. The Millers called and asked us if they could come over and discuss some problem their having with the new youth pastor, so now I have to bake a cake, too. I don’t have time to take Mom out for the whole day.
Sandy: Beth, it would mean so much to her. She told me that she hardly sees you anymore.
Beth: She sees me…I stop over when I can.. I was there just.. (thinking).. I was there, well, I can’t remember just when, but it wasn’t that long ago.
Sandy: Mom told me that it was 3 weeks ago and you only stayed long enough to get a recipe from her. Beth, you know I care about you, but I have to tell you something.
Beth: O, great, now Mom’s whining to you about me..
Sandy: No, she’s just concerned… and she misses you. We all miss you. You seem too busy for most of us anymore. Family is still important, Beth. It really is…
Beth: I know it is.. I mean I love you all and everything, but we all have our own lives and are all going in so many directions, it’s hard..
Sandy: I know it’s hard, but think about something for a minute. How will you feel if the day ever comes when Shelly is too busy to spend time with you once in awhile?
Beth: (Thinking) Okay, so I’m a chicken running around with my head cut off or at least I’m acting pretty brainless. My life is a whirlwind and I don’t know how to stop it.. I know, it’s out of control, but…
Sandy: You’ve heard of the verse in Psalm 46: 10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Maybe you need to start there.
Beth: Maybe I need to start somewhere. (Pause for thought.)
Okay, I’ll do it.
Sandy: You’ll do what?
Beth: I’ll take Saturday and spend the whole day with you and Mom. The cleaning can wait until Monday and I’ll have Steve explain to the Millers that they need to take their complaints to the source of their problem and not get us in on it.. I don’t need anything else to be in on.
Sandy: Mom will be so excited. Let’s call her now and invite her. She’ll have fun just looking forward to the day. Do you want to make the call?
Beth: No, you do it, Sandy. You’re the one who gets the glory on this one. You thought of the perfect Mother’s day gift. I’m just glad you reminded me about what’s really important… I know in my business I sort of forgot..
Sandy: No, problem.. that’s what sisters are for…
Sandy picks up the phone, dials and starts to talk.. “Hey, Mom, guess what? Beth and I have this great idea…
Read more articles by Teresa Flick or search for articles on the same topic or others.
That's it!!! I'm taking my Mom out to dinner! :::smile::: Thanks for the gift! In fact, I don't think I'll do it for Mother's Day. I think I'll do it just for the sake of doing it.
