MOTHER'S DAY

My oldest rug rat, N., with his little dog Weegie

My youngest son and his lady were still on night shift, so wouldn’t be joining us for the Mother’s Day lunch. I picked up the two oldest rug rats; it would give mummy a chance to rest. Tao, the youngest, is suffering from earaches again, and her hours of sleep are short. Besides, I hadn’t seen the boys since early Friday morning, and was beginning to suffer rug rat withdrawal.


Because they were hungry, the children had been served earlier than the rest of us, and N. was finished eating just as my meal arrived. He waited for about 10 minutes before asking me if I was going to ‘eat my whole plate’.


“Why do you ask?” I queried.


“I want to go home now. I don’t feel good.” He answered. I lifted my eyebrows in surprise. Maybe the fish he had eaten was bad? Yet – this restaurant was very busy, and had an excellent reputation. I was pretty sure that all food was fresh.


“You don’t feel good?” I repeated, studying him closely. He shook his head, but he didn’t look sick to me.


“Or maybe,” I asked slowly, “it’s just because you want to go home now?”


He nodded, twisting his hair around his finger as he said aloud, “Yes.”


This oldest child of my youngest son is a very introverted and sensitive person. Surrounded by familiar things is where he is most comfortable. He’s still young to be forced out of his comfort zone, yet my meal had just arrived, and I didn’t want to leave immediately. I decided to try a compromise.


“How about if you and M’mère take a walk outside? Maybe the fresh air would help you feel better?” He thought it over for a second then pushed back his chair, nodding his assent.


The sun was shining, so our short stroll was pleasant. While chatting about this and that, N. reminded me that we were to stop and get a flower for his mummy on the way home. It was an ‘Aha!’ moment.


“Is that why you want to leave now? So Mummy can get her flower?” His answer was another nod.


“Well then, M’mère will have time to eat her lunch, because mummy was going to sleep while Tao has his nap. We don’t want to wake her up.”


"But Tao has been sleeping a long time today,” answered this very astute young grandson of mine. “They’ll both be awake now.” I suspected that he was right. A new plan of action was needed. Somehow I convinced him that M’Mère would eat as quickly as possible, because I was really, really hungry, and then we would go to buy the flower. He reluctantly agreed and we re-entered the restaurant. I don’t think my dogs have ever watched me that closely as I finished what I could from my plate. Fortunately for us both, I don’t have a big appetite!


I remember...thirty minutes seems like forever to a child. Even the excitement of choosing his mother’s flower didn’t keep him from remarking that the way home seemed much longer than before. When we did arrive, it took him all of two seconds to jump out of the car and run into the house, so happy to offer his gift. Mummy was duly surprised and appreciative, and the joy in his smile made up for any indigestion which would probably result from my gobbling my meal.


I only stayed a few minutes – my other children were heading to my house on leaving the restaurant. N. was upstairs in the bathroom when I said my goodbyes and walked out to my truck. I had just opened the truck door when I heard him call out, “M’mère?” I looked up, and there was his sweet face in the open window, a huge grin on a happy little boy. He waved. “Bye M’mère!” he yelled.


Of course I SMILED all the way home.


Luv from the Bush in Quebec.