The Drive

Yesterday I left the house to run some routine errands. One errand took me to 2006 East 95^th Street to pay a bill. It was a beautiful day and I love driving so I decided it was an excellent day to get some Indiana gasoline. The Indiana borderline is not too far from East 95^th street.

I’m driving and enjoying Sirius Radio and suddenly there it was: The place to buy fish. A flood of memories overtook me and I unwillingly began sniffing, then crying. By the time I arrived at the gas station I was a basket case, uncontrollably sobbing. “O no not this one! I’ll go to the next station,” I said to myself. A lady nearby saw I was wailing and crying and asked if she could help. I told her. She nodded as if she knew and understood. “I don’t know how to get back to my house without passing that dam place! I can’t pass it ever again in my life!”

She told me to go back the way I came and stop at that place. “Tell that place ‘thank you for being a wonderful spot in my life.’ Then share this story with someone who need to hear it. There’s someone in your life going thru this same stuff and they need to know they are not the only one feeling this way.”

WoW! Isn’t that awesome? That is a powerful move for one stranger to take with another sobbing, wailing stranger. But I took her advice and now I am sharing it with you.

My mother and I used to drive to Indiana to get cigarettes and gasoline. Well… I drove and she accompanied me…for the ride…and the cheaper cigarettes…and the conversation. On the way we would stop at the bridge fishery. Usually we would order and pay. We picked it up on the way back. When we got across the Indiana border we went to the first gas station and it had a Dunkin Donuts shop. Momma had to have her coffee. On the way back we would pick up our order and either sit in the car and listen to the radio while we ate (on summer nights) or we would go back to her house and enjoy our food. Fresh cooked calamari! Or red snapper, my mom’s favorite. Whatever we ordered it was good because I was in the company of the most wonderful woman in the world and that woman just happened to be my mother.

I took that lady’s advice and went back to the bridge.

I said a prayer and thanked God for the beautiful memories, for the most wonderful woman in the world assigned to me as my mother. I blessed that place to continue their business and to continue serving people good food and good memories.

Mother’s Day is coming up.  This is my healing secret and advice:

If you cry or mourn: Be thankful that you care enough to cry.

Be thankful that you were gifted with a presence so wonderful that you still think about them, you still talk to them.

Be thankful for the love and relationships and the people in your life who bring you joy. Do not ever take them for granted.

Remember this: the people in your life who do not bring you joy will bring you a lesson. Learn your lesson and thank God for the lesson.

Just be thankful!!!

Thank you for stopping by! Please come back 🙂