My Mother the Mall Queen

Once a week we spend the day together running her errands, we do all those things she needs to do, and during these outings I learn new things about my mother that I didn't know. I feel like its a re-bonding. My daughter and I make sure she never has to worry about anything. Before my father passed the one thing I promised him was that my mom would be well taken care of. I never broke that promise to him.

My mother is in great health and looks very good for her age at 80 years old. She is active and walks daily. She even ventures out and takes the MST bus to the mall or to visit Old Town because she loves all the little trinket shops and book stores. She is still very stylish and not a grey hair out of place, picture perfect.

Spending time with my mom is an adventure. I've taken her on vacation with me and make sure she has experinced things in life she has never done before. I took her to a bar once because she had never been inside one. She doesn't drink and never has but she had a blast hanging out with my friends and me. I now had a new bar stool buddy. She was the first one dressed if I told her I was meeting friends for a drink. But the one thing I have discovered about my mother, and I don't know if anyone else has experinced this before with thier elderly moms, but my mom is an old man magnet.

She attracts them like flys. I have to beat them off with her cane. It doesn't matter where we go, some old man shows up and starts talking to her. Now I have a better understanding on how my own four children felt when some dude would approach me. All those mean things they did to my dates. My daughter answering the phone and informing them I couldn't talk at the moment because I was very busy raising my four children and to call back in ten years. It's all clear to me now. It's a boundary thing, a real space invader.

"Where did this gigolo come from?" I asked my mom.

She shrugs her shoulder's. "I don't know," she answers. "I turned around and he was standing right here next to me."

"Did you make the goo goo eyes at him?" I asked.

She blushes and shakes her head no.

While walking through the mall she points out where all the old guys gather and hangout. She even knew some of these "guys." Is this why she was so insistent on getting that MST bus pass? I saw the way they looked at my mom when we passed by. You have to keep an eye on these old dudes. They are quick when they make their move and faster with a walker. The way they start up conversations with her. What's up with that I wondered. The mall is not the place to let your elderly mother just wander around. One old guy tried to hang out with us while we sat to eat our lunch.

"Mother, who's your new boyfriend?" I asked her.

"He's not my boyfriend," she told me.

I think I used that line before during my teenage years.

"Well you better shake this old dude and make it quick," I told her. "He's a cheapo, he didn't even offer to buy us lunch."

I will scare him the same way my kids scared my dates off. One swift peek of the evil eye should get this old dude off my mom's trail and if he gives me any trouble I will double zap him with the stare down. I had a lot of dates when guys told me my kids had an intimidating look. Not those sweet little hooligans of mine, but they did toss out a good stare down I do have to give all four of them credit for that.

I've often been told that as our parents get older a role reversal takes place and we become the parent and they become the child. But I feel lucky, I still have my beautiful mother in my life and she is full of life and ready for any adventure. My daughter and I have managed to share a responsibility in her health and care. As they get older their needs become stronger. But these are her golden years and our goal is to make them special for her.

So for all them old dudes hanging out at the mall, beware, my mother is not dating some old man who has nothing else better to do then hang out at the mall all day picking up chicks.

My mother might be a hottie but she is a lady of style, from head to toe, and the orginal Miss Sassy Pants of our family. I was blessed from the day I was placed in your arms and still blessed today for your unconditonal love that embraced us all.