April Fools!

April Fools Day was always a special day for mom and I. It was my one day a year that I would play a prank on her and get her steaming mad and laughing until she practically wet her pants all in the same five minutes.

For some reason, my mom always forgot April 1st was April Fools Day and we were supposed to fool people. Maybe because she grew up abroad, maybe because she just didn’t get the concept or maybe she was just fooling me by pretending to go along. Every year for twenty years, I would call Mom and tell her outlandish things that she would believe.

My favorite doosies. “Mom, I have decided to leave corporate life, sell everything I own and move my family to a commune in Oregon. We will wear robes, no socks or underwear are permitted. We will give all our assets and money to the order.” Or the year when I called her to tell her my 49 year old sister was pregnant with twins. Or when I called to inform her that I won the lottery and a million dollars playing a scratch ticket and asked her if she would accompany me to Olympia to pick up the check and be on TV. I had her going through what outfit she was going to wear before the gag was over.

Those were great memories. Today, I think I will reminiscence with mom about them. I will talk and she can just listen, but I know she understands.