Step on a crack

"Step on a crack, break your mother's back."

This was a common saying in my childhood. It's not so much that I believed that it was true. I just wasn't willing to take any chances with my mother's back.

This saying comes to mind almost every day as I walk to and from work. And here is a picture taken from my office window. You can see our building just to the right of center, near the top. It has a light blue-gray addition with a white roof, and a couple of white banners.

Along the way, there are a lot of cracks in the sidewalk, and in the pavement of the back alley that leads from the street to our building. At least once each way I catch myself instinctively avoiding stepping on a crack. That brings this saying to mind, and with it memories of my dear mother.

She has gone now, and has no further need of an intact back.

It is somewhat pleasant to think of her each day. I miss her, and her frequent phone calls to check up on me. It used to seem a bit of a burden sometimes, but I would welcome it again.