...And checking my spiritual status.
First, she called me on Thanksgiving day, and told me in a oddly warm tone, "I suppose you made turkey, right?" To which I replied in detail how I prepared it (mom's a cooking freak and she's great at it), and how I was amazed at how tender and rich it tasted, being the very first time I roast a turkey. Then I tell her "Wait--you always roast a turkey too, right?" "Oh but you see," she replies. "I do it on any day other than Thanksgiving." "But it makes no difference, mom," I tell her. "Worldly people do the same thing we do: get together, eat like pigs, talk a lot of nonsense, and have a heck of a good time. Worldly people don't sacrifice puppies or burn crosses in Thanksgiving. So what's the difference? The date?" She is silent for an eternity, then continued on to other subjects...
Yesterday, she called me to see how I was, etc...We were talking about the climate and the low temperatures, and I mentioned her that we'll have to wrap ourselves up tightly since we're going to stay at an hotel Downtown for New Year's Eve to see the fireworks and the music. So she asks me in the weird tone again, "So I suppose you're gonna celebrate New Year's Eve?" "Well," I replied, "heck, yeah, I think that's right".
She didn't talk about it anymore. She fears my family and me are "lost". If she only knew!