Thankfulness

Today I'm thankful for memories and life lessons.

Sometimes they are connected, and I am going to relate one of these to you.

One evening, my mother had prepared baked potatoes for dinner.  I'm guessing the entree was probably meatloaf.  I had just got home from work, and she asked me to retrieve the potatoes from the oven.  Even though I was grown...I was still living at home...her domain, and I complied.

I'm sure we were chatting about something at the time, I donned oven mitts and carefully placed the foil covered potatoes on top of the stove.

I was down to the last one.

A little voice from a tiny red clad creature on my shoulder whispered..".Do it!"

And, I did.  I threw that last, foil covered, hot potato at my mother, while squealing "Think fast!"

She turned just in time to catch it with both hands, it immediately hit the floor.

I laughed.

She...gave me...'the look'...the one I had not seen since I was ten.  Holy cow...didn't expect that.  We stood in silence.  I didn't know what to do...should I run...should I snap my fingers and make myself disappear.  Is she finally going to get out her wooden spoon, for 'reals'.

Now, you have to remember, I was a grown up.  Why in the world did I do that?  I simply have to blame this on the Devil.

I had never seen my mother speechless.  I wish I could have seen the look on my face, it must have been priceless.  I finally sputtered an apology and tried to make amends.  She would have none of it.  Even at my age there had to be punishment, and there was...that evening the entire dinner clean-up and hand washing of dishes were up to me.  Whew, I knew the punishment could have been much worse.

Which is why, some time 'down the road', I will never understand why I hit my mother on the head with a pot.

Yes, I'm thankful for my memories, my oft stupidity, but most of all my Mom.  I love you.