Lovely

I had a lovely, and surprising dinner on Saturday night at the Nordstrom cafe. I needed to get out of the house, spend some time doing ME things, and I ended up having dinner in the cafe after returning a few things at the mall. I sat down, ordered a cup of soup and a salad, and then another woman sat down at the 2 person table next to me, and also ordered a cup of soup and a salad.

At first I thought she was maybe 80 years old. Thin, with an Anna Wintour bob, dressed in adorable white jeans, a white long sleeve shirt underneath a striped gray on gray short sleeve shirt layered with embroidered flowers. It was clear that she frequented the cafe quite a bit, alone. We sat for a minute, each eating our own food, and I felt like she like me was okay to be there alone...but...perhaps there was a chance to meet someone new and interesting.

She asked what soup I ordered. Then she told me she came there a lot. She used to come with her husband, but he died a few years ago. Before she could even finish that sentence she glanced at my left hand and said: "I hope you married someone really great- like I did."

And so we began a conversation and she told me about everything from the new MUST SEE Matt Damon movie to her four sons, two of which are trial lawyers in D.C. I told her I had a son and she said "Oh, you're just so lucky. Little boys LOVE their moms."

We talked for about an hour- and she encouraged me that if I just focus all my energy- I will be able to do it all- have a great job, be a good mom, be a great wife...

She is a member of the Barton Springs polar bear club, the president of a history club, a sunday night movie goer...and upon thinking about the numbers, I realized she was 90+. I know this because when she was talking about her husband and what a great, handsome, handsome man he was, she showed me something she had recently found in her office...a card off an arrangement of flowers that said: "Happy 256th month anniversary. I love you more now than ever." It was dated 1964.

And I am so thankful for that dinner. And so pleased that I met Marilyn. It/She was absolutely lovely.