As I sat down last night to catch a few minutes of PBS before the 10pm news, I picked up on a show “already in progress”. It was a 30-minute filler mini-documentary on the late humorist and journalist Erma Bombeck. This show caught my attention in particular because my Mom adored Erma’s writings and humor.

Please understand, Mom would speak often about an Erma story read from the local newspaper…and occasionally clip a column that somehow spoke to her, only to give us boys and dad something to ponder the “why this article” as we went through Mom’s personal items months after she died.

I thought, what better way to gain some insight into the mindset of both Erma and Mom than to give a listen to this short television program.

Well, watching the program didn’t help me any with the mindset-understanding thing. In fact, I know no differently that Mom liked this woman with good reason – she was funny, had three rambunctious kids and an understanding husband (like Mom had), and could tell a wonderful, feel-good, chicken-soup, front-porch type of story from her heart, nothing more, no pretenses. It was obvious to see that Mom role-modeled some of her life and attitude after this woman because Erma was simply a good, decent person. That was all I needed to know. Then the producers closed the program with an Erma quote that got me thinking all over again. It made me understand more, this woman named Erma…it made me understand more, this woman named Mom.

“I always had a dream that when I’m asked to give an accounting of my life to a higher court, it will go like this: ‘So…empty your pockets.  What do you have left of your life? Any dreams that were unfulfilled?  Any unused talent that we gave you when you were born that you still have left? Any unused compliments or bits of love that you haven’t spread around?’ And I will answer, ‘I’ve nothing to return. I spent everything you gave me. I’m as naked as the day I was born’ ” – Erma Bombeck

This quote would probably find a more appropriate place on my blog under the “Better” page, but then that is not always read (now is it?). It might also find a comfortable home on the “Thump” page of this blog, but then that hasn’t always been explored (now has it?). No…with that message, I think it will do just fine right here on the “Home” page, or any where else I may choose to put it.

I think I’m going to start to get naked….