The Hot Date.

Got your attention, huh?  A stop at Tiffany's followed by an elegant dinner.  My date?  My own mom :)

The conversation went something like this:

Me: "So how are you feeling about me going overseas?"

Mom: "I'm worried."

[I relax.  No overreaction here.]

Mom: "I'm afraid your isolating yourself."

Me: "But mom, I'm an introvert anyways..."

[Okay, not the best answer, but hey...]

Mom: "I'm afraid your emotional needs won't be met."

Me: "My inner world is actually quite fulfilling..."

[I wasn't intending my answers to sound all lone ranger...but now they do when I type them out...]

Mom: "Aren't you afraid of being lonely?"

Me: "You're being vague, mom.  What do you mean?"

Mom: "I just want you to have a companion in life."

[Aha...so the indirectness finally is spelled out.  She's concerned about me being single...]

Me: (In my head) "I love my mom." 

Mom: "You don't know what it's like to be a mother..."

[Nope, I don't, but I pray that one day I will.]