1.9 - ‘I Love You’, Mom

This is a story about a son and his mother and their relationship. the son is the narrator of the entire story. The story begins likes this.

After 21 years of marriage one day his wife wanted him to take another woman out to dinner and a movie. She said that she loves him, but the other women loves him more and would like to spend some valuable time with him. The other woman that his wife wanted him to visit was his mother, who had been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of his work and his 3 children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night he called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie, and he was shocked by her response. The mother asked him “‘What’s wrong, are you well?”. She was a typical woman who suspects that a late night calls or surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. But after knowing about the plan of her son to spend some time with her, the mother was happy.

That Friday after work, the son drove over to pick the mother up. As he approached the house he was becoming bit nervous and also noticed that his mother was also nervous about the date. She was waiting 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.’

The son and the mother went to a very elegant restaurant. The mother was so happy and proud that she took his arms as if she were the First Lady. They took their seats and the son started to read the menu. The mother started to smile as she felt nostalgic about the whole thing. She was remembering how she used to read the menu when he was young.

At the dinner both spoke so much that they missed the movie. As they arrived at her house later, she said, ‘I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you.’ The son agreed and returned home. Back home the wife was waiting to see her husband’s reaction. She asked him about the outing. And the reply was ‘Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,’ I answered.

A few days later, his mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that the son didn’t have a chance to do anything for his mother. Sometime later, he received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place where 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, the son 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.’

Book Back Questions

1. Do you think that the mother and the narrator enjoyed the conversation?

Yes, the mother and the narrator enjoyed the conversation very much. They went to an elegant restaurant for dinner. The mother was very happy and proud to be with her son. She smiled and felt nostalgic, remembering how she used to read the menu when he was young. During dinner, both of them spoke a lot and shared many things. They were so deeply involved in talking that they even missed the movie. The mother felt it was a special moment and wanted to go out again with her son. This shows that the conversation gave them joy and made their relationship stronger.

2. What was the event that made the narrator truly appreciate the importance of saying things at time?

The sudden death of the narrator’s mother made him understand the importance of saying things at the right time. A few days after their dinner outing, she died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that the son did not get another chance to do anything for her. Later, he received an envelope with the restaurant receipt and a note from his mother. She had paid the bill in advance and wrote how much that night meant to her. At that moment, the narrator realized that we must express love in time and spend time with our loved ones before it is too late.

3. Why did the narrator’s wife ask him to take his mother for an outing?

The narrator’s wife asked him to take his mother for an outing because she wanted him to spend valuable time with her. She said that she loved him, but his mother loved him more. The mother was a widow for 19 years, and because of his busy work and three children, he visited her only occasionally. His wife understood that his mother needed attention and care. So she suggested that he take her out for dinner and a movie. This was a thoughtful idea to make the narrator realize the importance of family and love.

4. The mother was excited at being invited out by her son. Do you agree?

Yes, I agree that the mother was very excited to be invited out by her son. At first, she was shocked and asked if something was wrong, because she thought a late-night call might bring bad news. But when she understood that her son wanted to spend time with her, she became happy. She dressed nicely, curled her hair, and wore the dress from her last wedding anniversary. She even told her friends about the outing. At the restaurant, she felt proud and took her son’s arm. This shows her excitement clearly.

5. Do you believe that the dinner with his mother changed the narrator’s attitude towards his family?

Yes, the dinner with his mother changed the narrator’s attitude towards his family. He realized how meaningful it was to spend time with loved ones. The outing was much nicer than he had imagined. After his mother’s sudden death, he understood the importance of saying “I love you” in time. The note and receipt showed how much that night meant to his mother. He learned that nothing in life is more important than family. The story teaches that we should give our family the time they deserve, because such moments cannot be postponed to some other time.