Sam Cook: Hi, Mom. I know you can't answer, but I want to talk

• Sam Cook

Sam Cook is a News Tribune columnist and outdoors writer. Reach him at (218) 723-5332 or scook@duluthnews.com.

Talk about it

I thought about calling Mom today. If I did, I’d tell her about the blizzard we were supposed to get but which did not materialize, and how that was fine because I really had no desire to blow more snow and because we really don’t need any more snow this winter.

I’d tell her about the wind gusting to more than 50 mph and how the waves came crashing down upon our end of the lake, and how people flocked to Canal Park to watch the waves and then went scurrying back when a big one sent a shower of spray over them, soaking their hair and clothes. That’s what I’d tell her.

I’d ask her about the Kansas Jayhawks, her favorite basketball team, though she never attended the school. She would assess their chances in the Sweet Sixteen and maybe the Elite Eight and hopefully the Final Four. She would know the players by name, tell me who’s playing well, who’s injured, how the coach is viewed by the fans. We would talk about all of that.

I’d tell her about the kids and the possibilities of graduate school for one of them, and how that might mean a move far away from Minnesota. And she would say, Those kids, they’re something, really something, aren’t they, and how lucky we are. And I would say, Yeah, you’re right. We’re pretty lucky.

I’d tell her about our upcoming vacation, heading for Guatemala to see the other child, and how he’s doing down there studying Spanish at the university and volunteering at a farm and traveling to Mexico and other Latin American countries. And Mom would think that was quite a deal, the way kids travel now and see the world, and how lucky they are. And, I’d say, Yeah, they sure are, and I sure wish I knew a little more Spanish for the trip but I suppose I’ll get by. And she’d say, Oh, you’ll be fine.

I’d tell her about our older cat that seems to be getting skinnier and skinnier and the younger cat that seems to be getting beefier and beefier. I’d ask her about her friend Doc Stone, an old family friend, and how he’s getting along. I’d ask her about my brothers and sister and how they’re doing and have they been to visit her lately. Nancy was down to see you? Oh, that’s good. I’d say I hear Cassie is getting married. And Mom would say, Oh, yes, everyone’s excited about that, and her fiancé seemed to be such a nice guy when they were visiting a while back.

That’s what we would say if I called Mom today, which I think of doing many days. But she died a year ago in October now, so I won’t call her today just as I didn’t call yesterday or last weekend, and just as I haven’t called her all the other times I’ve thought about it in the past year and a half.

I wonder how long that will keep happening.

Sam Cook is a Duluth News Tribune columnist and outdoors writer. Reach him at (218) 723-5332 or scook@duluthnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/samcookoutdoors.