Mom Embarrassed Dad

by Jerry Blackerby

Mom was naïve. She fell for every gag that Dad pulled on her. Mom would respond to something Dad said with an innocent statement that he would turn into a laugh and embarrass her. Although Dad was a Baptist preacher, he loved pulling jokes on Mom and she could be depended on to “open mouth and insert foot” with a reply. After 60 years of marriage and shortly before he died, Mom embarrassed Dad with her reply to an “innocent” statement that he made. I think it was a first.

The doctor diagnosed Dad with congestive heart failure and told him he only had a few months to live. Dad wanted to celebrate his 81^st birthday with his twin sister. She could not come be with him so my sister and her husband took Mom and Dad to the town where his twin sister lived for a birthday celebration. We met Mom and Dad at their suite in a local hotel. I picked up Dad’s twin sister and took all of them out for a birthday dinner.

At the hotel that evening, Dad and his twin sister were sitting on the sofa reminiscing. Several family members were enjoying the stories of days gone by while Mom was fussing around, preparing to serve cake and ice cream. I was video-taping the exchange of memories. After laughing over several stories, Dad asked his sister if she remembered the time he came home from a date and told her he thought he had gotten himself engaged and didn't know how. Dad’s twin sister did not remember the incident, but before Dad could elaborate further Mom interrupted. Mom never could leave well enough alone; she always had to give her viewpoint.

Mom explained what had happened; one of her cousins, Opal, had married Dad's brother, Kyle, a few years before. One night on a date, Dad asked Mom if she thought she could ever care as much for him as Opal did for Kyle. Mom looked at all of us and said, "Opal and Kyle were married. Wouldn't you consider that a proposal?"

Dad grinned real big as he responded with a quick line, "I just wanted to find out if she cared for me a little. I didn't want to go all the way."

Mom glared at Dad, stomped her foot and put her hands on her hips as she said, "Well, you fool; we DIDN'T for a long time!"

Dad’s face turned red. He pointed to my video camera and said, “Turn that thing off! I want that tape.”