Legal Lunch -- Table Three

A year ago this was my table. Three oldsters, a mom of 72-ish, a dad in a rakish yachting cap with almost no hair and obvious chemo distress of maybe 78, another woman not a day over 90, but easily 89, the dutiful son taking them to lunch on Saturday, dying a thousand deaths. It takes them nearly a half hour just to read the menu and order. I think of taking my dad out last year -- how painful it was, how much he loved it. All the kind male relatives who would take him into the men's room and make sure he came back out in some variation on the theme of clean and dressed.

I think of the son in his 40's trying to hold it together and obviously having a very stressful day -- don't worry, they KNOW they're all nearly dead, you're the one who's really dying. You still have life in you to snuff out, they are flickering before our very eyes. Just start saying goodbye.