After21yearsofmarriage,mywifewantedmetotakeanotherwomanouttodinnerandamovie.Theotherwomanmywifewantedmetovisitwasmymother,whohasbeenawidowfor19years,butthedemandsofmyworkandmythreechildrenhadmadeitpossibletovisitheronlyoccasionally. 　　ThatFridayafterwork,whenIarrivedatherhouse,mymotherwaitedinthedoorwithhercoaton.Shehadcurledherhairandwaswearingthedressthatshehadworntocelebrateherlastweddinganniversary. 　　Wewenttoarestaurantthat,althoughnotelegant,wasveryniceandcozy.MymothertookmyarmasifsheweretheFirstLady. 　　Duringthedinner,wehadanagreeableconversationnothingextraordinarybutcatchinguponrecenteventsofeachother’slife.Wetalkedsomuchthatwemissedthemovie. 　　Aswearrivedatherhouselater,shesaid,“I’llgooutwithyouagain,butonlyifyouletmeinviteyou.”Iagreed. 　　Afewdayslater,mymotherdiedofamassiveheartattack.IthappenedsosuddenlythatIdidn’thaveachancetodoanythingforher. 　　Sometimelater,IreceivedanenvelopewithacopyofarestaurantreceiptfromthesameplaceMotherandIhaddined.Anattachednotesaid:“Ipaidthisbillinadvance.Iwasn’tsurethatIcouldbethere;but,nevertheless,Ipaidfortwoplates—oneforyouandtheotherforyourwife.Youwillneverknowwhatthatnightmeantforme.Iloveyou,son.” 　　Atthatmoment,Iunderstoodtheimportanceofsayingintime:‘IloveYOU’andtogiveourlovedonesthetimethattheydeserve. 　　Nothinginlifeismoreimportantthanyourfamily.Givethemthetimetheydeserve,becausethesethingscannotbeputofftillsome“other”time.