This Could Be The Last

Every year, I send baking supplies
to my much beloved Mom
so she can make
her coveted fruitcake.

I often moan and groan
about finding these ingredients,
about packing them,
about going to the post office
to send them to her.
It is a task of love
but still a task.

This year, my Mom told me
it would be her last year
making fruitcake.
She no longer has the strength
to knead it.

There was a different type
of moaning and groaning
as I located the ingredients.
I wished it wasn’t the last year.
I wished my Mom still had the strength.
I wished I had the privilege
of performing this task for her again.

I know this will be the last time.
But we often don’t have this awareness.

This could be the last time
we start a business.
This could be the last time
we sell our products
to a favorite customer.
This could be the last time
we don’t delegate
the holiday marketing campaign.

Would our attitudes change
if this was the last time?
If it would,
assume that’s reality
…because that might be the truth.