Take it when you can

Today is my mother's 91st birthday.  As we ate lunch

we talked a bit about lifes lessons.  My mother certainly

isn't, or should I more aptly say wasn't, an east coast

surfer.  In fact I'm not really sure I've ever seen set foot in

the sea.  I do, however, have her to thank for my love

of the ocean.  But that's a story for another day.

My mother has never been a go for it, drop everything

kind of gal.  She spends lots of time fussing about things

she can't control and stays up nights worrying about all

sorts of things real and imagined.  I wish she could know

the sheer pleasure of dropping everything because the surf

was up.  To hell with all that stuff that "should" be done,

forget about those imagined worries,  the real ones will

still be there later.

Surfing, especially here on the east coast, has taught me

the importance of taking it when you can.  The waves, like

many of life's pleasures and joys might not be here later.

If we wait too long or put things off for another day too often

we just might miss out.  Reflecting on my mother's 91 years

I wish she'd had the ability to "do it" more and worry less.

Happy birthday mom.  I'm hoping I can make it to 91 and maybe ride

a wave or 2 at that...but I'm not going to worry about it.  I'm going

to take life when I can, each and every day.