Try to convince my Mom to have a social life

I knew that she would never take a break and put her needs ahead of the needs of her child, that’s why I felt that it was my duty to do this, for HER, since she couldn’t do it on her own.

As we continued to work through the boxes we made idle chatter, eventually I managed to veer the conversation around to the subject of my mom and her social life.

“You should get out more, mom,” I said, trying to plant the idea in her head as I scribbling a new label on one of the boxes.

“Says the boy who spends his life online,” she gently retorted.

I pressed on. “I think I'm old enough where you can leave me at home by myself. Isn't there anyone at work you'd want to hang out with? Maybe you could go meet a person from the opposite gender….”

“Well?” She pursed her lips, and I saw a little, sly smile flicker, but then she shook her head and knowingly pressed those thoughts away, “No. Not really.”

“Well, then, go meet up with some friends. Go do...whatever it is women do. I feel like you haven't gone out for fun in a while.”

“I know, I should,” she sighed. “You know motherhood is a 24/7 job, plus I'm just afraid I've forgotten how to socialize!”

I knowingly pulled back left the conversation hang for the moment to marinate a bit, but I knew she wouldn't follow up on it. She'd become too accustomed to being staying home and unless something happened to shake her out of her habits she wasn't going anywhere.

So, it was clear that I had to be that something.