Promises, Predictions and

I learned a hard lesson about making promises many years ago.

My unfulfilled prediction has come back to haunt me more times than I can count.

It happened when, while I still could be considered young, I was certainly old enough to know better.

It occurred during one of the many normal spontaneous discussions most parents have while our children are still young enough to listen carefully, but old enough to remember. Invariably in later years, the adult children then remember random incidents and love to quote a parent’s frivolous words.

Thursday evenings were traditionally when my husband spent time with his parents in Manhattan. Since the children and I would be dining alone, it then became the time I would read Shakespeare aloud as they ate their macaroni and fish sticks. Admittedly, it was never a gourmet meal, but always a time I have ever remembered and cherished.,

The four youngsters were not particularly enamored of Macbeth and his turmoil so most evenings our conversation wandered into other topics.

As I recall that particular evening, it was shortly after a long time ambition had been realized. At the age of forty, for the very first time, a manuscript of mine had been accepted and published by the New York Times.

I was ecstatic and wanted to convey to my children that they should never relinquish any of their dreams.

I believe that evening it was one of the older ones who then asked, “What about flying a helicopter.” Without thinking, I said, “When you grow up, I predict you will each own your own helicopter.”

Of course, that was ridiculous, and I should have known better. But I, like the Man of La Mancha, have never been known to admit or acknowledge any dream as ridiculous or impossible. To this day on the rare and precious moments when the clan gathers, my failed prophesy is recalled. We do it with laughter and the grandchildren are incredulous at my naïveté, but I have learned never to make impossible promises again.

According to all the news reports, repeal of the Obama healthcare is dead. It seems like yesterday, every politician was promising the country we would have a new national healthcare law within the year

Why do I keep remembering no one in our family has ever owned a helicopter?