Nostalgia

It's been a while since I had such a sudden wave of nostalgia. It kind of blindsided me...came out of nowhere.

Ever since we got married, Nan and I have reserved Friday nights for our date night. Sometimes things get in the way and we miss a week, but even then, we try to have a make-up night.

I don't do movies often, so most of our dates center around one of our favorite restaurants. Nan always likes this best, as she likes to spend money on food rather than some other form of entertainment. Often, one or the other of our children will accompany us. It's a pleasure for us to have them there and I hope they feel the same.

My parents were the same way. I don't think they could afford to go out to dinner as often as we do, but I know they enjoyed the time together. From time to time we would join them. It was a special time for us. After mom passed away, we made a special effort to include dad for these outings.

This evening, sitting at our table, Nan and I were enjoying our meal. There was a young couple sitting at a table not far from us. I think they had three children with them. At any rate, there were a couple of empty chairs at the table. The young mother kept glancing at the door, and eventually she smiled and greeted an older couple who I presume were her parents. It was probably the young mom's birthday as the parents left a gift in front of her.

Memories of the times with my parents flooded my mind. They were kind and thoughtful people. I looked at Nan and she knew what I was thinking...must have been something in the air that made my eyes water.