By Linda Beck
After not fishing for more than 20 years, I caught the first fish as I used to when Joe baited my hooks. It was just a small bream, but with someone else (my son-in-law, Bill) willing to bait with the worms, I was blessed once again to have the pleasure of fishing! My grandson, Billy, stepped up and took the fish off for me. I really appreciated this fellow!
When Joe and I first got married, I had warned him that I would not like fishing. Iíve told that story many times but some readers may not remember it because that was about seventeen years ago! When he first convinced me to go with him, I took my quilt and a book to read as I relaxed by the little creek.
It was hot that day, so we finally found a little shady spot and I had made myself comfortable. After he got his first hook in the water, he asked me to hold the rod while he baited another hook. I protested, he insisted. … I begged ěno,í he pleaded ěyes.î
I realized later that he knew exactly how to trick me into doing what he wanted me to do. When he saw the little red and white bobber dancing around in the water, he yelled, ěBabe, catch that fish!î We both got very excited as he came over to teach me how to reel the fish into the bank. From then on, I was hooked!
Joe knew I hated putting worms on or taking the fish off so thatís the reason I almost always caught the first fish Ö and sometimes the second Ö and third Ö until he would insist that I stop and let him fish.
Sometimes when I snagged big ones, we would both get so excited; he just loved to watch me having fun. Most men who enjoy fishing would not be willing to do like that. Just as I always thanked him, I would like to thank my family for our picnic and little fishing trip on Motherís Day.
I had missed fishing and wanted to go again some day. Just the week before, I had been at Dan Nicholas Park watching some children fish. I told my kids later that I had been tempted to offer a little boy $5 to allow me to hold his rod and reel. This day and time, parents prefer strangers not get that personal with their children so I resisted the urge.
My daughters know that Iím not crazy about standing in lines in restaurants on Motherís Day. I had suggested a picnic because we did a lot of that when their dad was living. So they surprised me with a KFC picnic at the Salisbury Community Park. The weather was beautiful and the park and lake are gorgeous. The only problem is the gravel hill in the handicapped parking area; it really needs to be paved or packed with pea gravel.
Since I purchased my handicapped conversion van, I have parked there several times but always knew it would not be safe for me to get out there alone because of the gravel. But this time I had a family of willing helpers, and I was blessed with a time for new memories.

Linda Beck is an author, speaker and free-lance writer living in Woodleaf. Email: lindainthecards@ gmail.com.