After 21 years of marriage, my wife told me to take another woman out to dinner and a movie.She said, "I love you, but I know this other woman loves you and would love to spend some time with you."
The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my MOTHER, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and three children made visiting difficult.
That night I invited her to go out for dinner and a movie. "What’s wrong, are you well?" she asked.
My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. "I thought that it would be pleasant to spend some time with you," I responded. "Just the two of us." She thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I would like that very much."
That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel’s. "I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed," she said, as she got into the car. "They can’t wait to hear about our meeting."
We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entries, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. "It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small," she said. "Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor," I responded. During the dinner, we had an agreeable conversation – nothing extraordinary but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said, "I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you." I agreed.
"How was your dinner date?" asked my wife when I got home. "Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined," I answered.
A few days later, my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn't have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later, I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: "I paid this bill in advance. I wasn't sure that I could be there; but nevertheless, I paid for two plates – one for you and the other for your wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you, son."
At that moment, I understood the importance of saying in time: "I LOVE YOU" and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off till "some other time."
Friday, November 30, 2012
Don't Wait Until Mother's Day to Say I Love You, Mom.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Cod Cat "Music - Here we go!"
38 Special (everyone has their First Time Around)
AC/DC (They Have Shook Me All Night Long)
Aerosmith (Get Your Wings or get you some,don't just get you some get you a bunch Ran!)
Albert Castiglia (if he could cut off his Big Toe he wouldn't have to work no more)
Alice Cooper ( I'm Eighteen or I wish I was again and knew then what I know now! Alice is an all time favorite.)
Allman Brothers Band (they were born as a Ramblin Man and Midnight Rider)
Argent (awe come on baby Hold Your Head Up)
Arlo Guthrie (no place better to eat or haul off your garbage than Alice's Restaurant, thanks Sis)
B.B.King ( A Legend- as long as he's paying the bills he's Paying The Cost To Be The Boss )
Bad Company, Free (Alright Now let's here it for Paul Rogers, what a lead singer! I wouldn't think he was Bad Company)
Blackfoot (they like to ride that Train,Train while they are looking in the Wishing Well)
Bonnie Raitt (Greatest Woman Slide Player In the world and my Angel From Mongomery!Flies in the kitchen, I can hear em' in there buzzing Reo!)
Brownsville Station (bet they are still Smokin' In The Boys Room)
Creedence Clearwater Revival (think of all those hits but they couldn't find out Who'll Stop the Rain)
Dan Fogelberg (it's hard to Go Down Easy when on The River)
Dave Mason (one of the very best, blew me away when I saw him In Houston,Tx. years ago.He gave me a Warm Desire for his Sweet Music!)
Deep Purple (there was alot of Smoke On The Water and fire in the sky back years ago and I sure was glad not to hear someone Knockin' At Your Backdoor then)
Delbert McClinton (my wife for sure is The Same Kind Of CRAZY as me)
Doobie Brothers (wonder how they got that name Rockin Down The Highway headed for China Grove?
Elvis Presley (you ain't nothing but a Hound Dog wearing Blue Suede Shoes but you were and are still the King)
Emmy Lou Harris (my favorite country female artist of all time cause she was Born To Run)
Eric Clapton ( A CLASS ACT! He is the Forever Man in my book!Fantstic artist, None Better
Fabulous Thunderbirds (you think you are tuff they are Tuff Enough)
Fleetwood Mac (Stevi you are a Gold Dust Woman)
Foghat (I've always been a country boy at heart but have been a Fool For The City a few times in my life)
FogHorn LegHorn ( I said That Is A Joke Son)
Foreigner (I bet they are as Cold As Ice these days and wish they were still Hot Blooded)
Gary Wright (he is just a Dream Weaver to some but I like him)
Georgia Satellites (I really don't care what you do just Keep Your Hands To Yourself friend)Dac - David Allen Coe (one of the 2 best lines ever written in a song I think it goes ~ ~ can you make folks feel what they feel inside ~~ when you are on The Ride)
Heart - Speaking of Heart (you've got to Keep Your Love Alive as you go Straight On for your Magic Man that Barracuda)
J.J. Cale (how laid back can you get there Crazy Mama)
Jerry Williams & Harvest (One of the very best singers I have ever heard. I Won't Be Denied, neither will God, My Strength & My Shield)
Jethro Tull (Ian Anderson is a genuis even if he once might have dated Cross-Eyed Mary)
Jimi Hendrix (Purple Haze had him way ahead of his time and gone to soon)
Jimmy Thackery ( I'll think i need to just sell the bitch's car and buy myself a Cool Guitar)
Kansas ( even though we are but Dust In The Wind, we'll Carry On Wayward Son)
Kiss (they don't just rock Detroit Rock City, they Rock N' Roll All Night and party every day. Gene has some fine family jewels, too)
Led Zepplen (plenty of Rock N' Roll to listen to with your Black Dog, In The Evening while you think about your Stairway To Heaven)
Lynryd Skynryd (Good ole kiss ASS Southern Rock ~Gimmie Three Steps and we'll be headed out towards the door for Sweet Home Alabama, by the way, What's Your Name and That Smell on here anyway?)
Marshall Tucker Band (Can't You See they were Searching For A Rainbow but only found Fire On The Mountain)
Nazareth (Love Hurts but nothing a little Hair Of The Dog won't cure)
Neil Young ( Love to listen to and play my acoustic guitar and harmonica to his music. Neil is one of the very strongest influences in my musical life. He is probably the utmost reason that I love playing acoustic guitar so much. I believe he truly has a Heart Of Gold just like my Net! Thanks Neil for all the great music!)
Peter Frampton (Do You Feel Like We Do, I tried to an aweful lot back then)
Pink Floyd (Far out man, Wish You Were Here and I have been Comfortably Numb a few times in my life)
Queen (everyone loves Fat Bottom Girls, they make the rockin' world go round or I do anyway that's what matters)
Rainbow (while out on The Street Of Dreams and feeling Stone Cold Richie Blackmore is still The Man On The Silver Mountain)
Rare Earth ( I Just Want To Celebrate cause I'm Losing You so Get Ready)
Ratt ( hung up going Round And Round)
REO Speed Wagon (they Take It On The Run cause they Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore, must be Time For Me To Fly so I can Roll With the Changes)
Rick Derringer (he is the Rock N' Roll Hoochie Choo man)
Robert Cray (I Guess I Showed Her that I could be a 24-7 Man even though I was listening Right Next Door)
Rolling Stones ( Strut That Stuff Mick, you ole Beast Of Burden)
Santana (don't mess with his guitar pickin as he has a Black Magic Woman)
Speaking Of Mountain (I wonder if they still hang out with the Mississippi Queen?)
Stevi Ray Vaughn (what a smokin' guitar player with Pride and Joy, plenty of bang for the buck here)
Styx (Suite Madame Blue is a killer)
Survivor (there is No Easy Way Out with a Burning Heart looking through the Eye Of The Tiger)
Suzi Quatro (what a fox in those black leather pants and can play the bass guitar way down at Devil Gate Drive singing to Michael (Michael-Doodle) all the time, she was right when she said Your Moma Won't Like Me, but we sure did!)
Ted Nugent (the wild man of rockn' roll but he is sick ~ got the Cat Scratch Fever I think)
THE BEATLES (All the wonderful songs they have given to us)
The Outlaws (fast guitar playing from all that Green Grass And High Tides Forever)
The Stumblers - A special thanks to The Stumblers ( Curtis W. - alias Carl Childers, Dave Y. - no longer with us R.I.P., Don B. - The Master of Sparks, Ross J.
- RossMan, Steve B. - Mr. Urgent ) for all the great music & times we all have had & shared. Best cover band ever!
Toby Keith (a modern day outlaw ~ How Do You Like Me Now that I Love This Bar)
Tom Petty (even though he is Learning to Fly by Free Fallin he don't have to live like a Refugee)
Uriah Heep (talk about deep cuts ~ Sweet Lorraine and the Spider woman are Stealin from The Lady In Black in The Park)
Van Halen (one of Net Net's favs as she likes to go to Panama to look for the Ice Cream Man every now and then to Jump,jive and have a good time)
Wishbone Ash (always been a favorite as Time Was in a Sometime World while winds were Blowin' Free, The King Will Come on Leaf And Stream and The Warrior will Throw Down The Sword)
ZZ Top (little old band from Texas that hangs out in La Grange)- Cod Cat Nice Job & THANKS ~ I'll copy & save it. YOU did the work. IT just came to me OFF the top of my head! LMAO
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Daddy's Poem
Her favorite dress tied with a bow.
Today was Daddy's Day at school,
And she couldn't wait to go.
But her mommy tried to tell her,
That she probably should stay home;
Why the kids might not understand,
If she went to school alone.
But she was not afraid;
She knew just what to say.
What to tell her classmates
Of why he wasn't there today.
But still her mother worried,
For her to face this day alone.
And that was why, once again,
She tried to keep her daughter home.
But the little girl went to school ,
Eager to tell them all.
About a dad she never sees, a dad
Who never calls.
There were daddies along the wall in
Back, for everyone to meet.
Children squirming impatiently,
Anxious in their seat.
One by one the teacher called
On a student from the class.
To introduce their daddy,
As seconds slowly passed.
At last the teacher called her name,
Every child turned to stare.
Each of them was searching,
A man who wasn't there.
"Where's her daddy at?"
She heard a boy call out.
"She probably doesn't have one,"
Another student dared to shout.
And from somewhere near the back,
She heard a daddy say,
"Looks like another deadbeat dad,
Too busy to waste his day."
The words did not offend her,
As she smiled up at her Mom.
And looked back at her teacher, who
Told her to go on..
And with hands behind her back,
Slowly she began to speak.
And out from the mouth of a child,
Came words incredibly unique.
"My Daddy couldn't be here,
Because he lives so far away.
But I know he wishes he could be,
Since this is such a special day.
And though you cannot meet him,
I wanted you to know
All about my daddy,
And how much he loves me so.
He loved to tell me stories,
He taught me to ride my bike;
He surprised me with pink roses,
And taught me to fly a kite.
We used to share fudge sundaes,
And ice cream in a cone.
And though you cannot see him.
I'm not standing here alone.
'Cause my daddy's always with me,
Even though we are apart;
I know because he told me,
He'll forever be in my heart"
With that, her little hand reached up,
And lay across her chest.
Feeling her own heartbeat,
Beneath her favorite dress.
And from somewhere there in the crowd of dads,
Her mother stood in tears.
Proudly watching her daughter,
Who was wise beyond her years.
For she stood up for the love
Of a man not in her life.
Doing what was best for her,
Doing what was a right.
And when she dropped her hand back
Down, staring straight into the crowd.
She finished with a voice so soft,
But its message clear and loud.
"I love my daddy very much,
he's my shining star.
And if he could, he'd be here,
But heaven's just too far.
You see he is an American Soldier
And he died just this past year,,
When a roadside bomb hit his convoy
And taught Americans to fear.
But sometimes when I close my eyes,
it's like he never went away."
And then she closed her eyes,
And saw him there that day.
And to her mother's amazement,
She witnessed with surprise,
A room full of daddies and children,
All starting to close their eyes.
Who knows what they saw before them;
Who knows what they felt inside.
Perhaps for merely a second,
They saw him at her side.
"I know you're with me Daddy,"
to the silence she called out.
And what happened next made believers,
of those once filled with doubt.
Not one in that room could explain it,
for each of their eyes had been closed.
But there on the desk beside her,
was a fragrant long-stemmed pink rose.
And a child was blessed, if only for
a moment, by the love of her shining star.
And given the gift of believing,
that heaven is never too far.
Take the time....to live and love.
Until eternity
God Bless
There must be many children in the same boat as this little girl, thanks to our servicemen and their families for the sacrifice they are making to keep our country free.
The ULTIMATE sacrifice is being left behind. Don't forget them.
PRAY FOR OUR TROOPS!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)