Tacos and Margs

It was a simple request. And you only turn 89 once, so it was a date.

You see, I had asked my mom if she wanted to go out and celebrate her birthday. “You choose where you want to go, and Ronda and I will take you out.” She said she’d think about it and let me know.

Then came the text that made me smile: “How about a taco and a margarita on Saturday to celebrate my birthday?”

What a fun celebration we had.

We went to a local Mexican restaurant near my office, and Roberto was our server. He broke into a big smile when I mentioned it was Mom’s birthday. The girls ordered margaritas, and I ordered a cold beer. We dove into the chips and salsa while chatting about the flowers, cards, and calls Mom had received that day.

The margarita was as big as her head, and she loved it.

Her order? A single beef taco. Simple and exactly what she wanted. “Hard shell,” she reminded Roberto.

Nana doesn’t do soft shell tacos.

At the end of the meal, Roberto asked if she wanted another margarita. She laughed and said one was enough.

“How about a shot?” he joked. More laughter. A polite decline.

“I’ve got just the thing,” Roberto said with a grin. He smiled at me, winked at Mom, and quickly stepped away.

Moments later, the entire staff came out with maracas, festive masks, and big smiles, singing “Feliz Cumpleaños.” A huge dish of Mexican ice cream with a flaming sparkler lit up our table. They placed a “Birthday Sombrero” on her head, and she smiled, laughed, and wore it like a champ.

Next year, for her 90th birthday, she’s requesting flamingos in the yard.

We think she means plastic flamingos, but knowing her and her no-soft-shell rule, we may need to start researching real pink birds. My brothers and I are on it.

So now I have a simple request for you… Or maybe it’s more of a question:

What will you do this week to earn your tacos and margs?