This is my mom photographed 2 days ago and she turns 96 today and here’s a funny story; my older brother of 3 years and I never went far down the rabbit hole of smoking pot but we smoked on occasion like so many others in the 70s. When my parents discovered we had tried it, instead of breaking open our heads, they said they wanted to understand it. My mom said; “I’m making a tray of lasagna on Saturday, bring your girlfriends and some of that stuff.” Saturday came, I entered the house with my girlfriend Michelle and my brother and his girlfriend Connie. We joined my parents at the dining room table, both sitting at the ends. My brother set a bong at the center of the table and my parents looked at it as if it were an alien artifact. We then explained how it worked; how to load it, light it, inhale and hold. A moment later the bong was lit up and passed around and soon we drifted into the evening. My dad who is normally quiet and reserved starting telling stories while my mom who is funny and social was unable to string a complete sentence together, she was non-stop giggles. Michelle and Connie looked at my brother and I and all four of us erupted in laughter wondering how this was happening, but it was happening. This was how my parents operated. They trusted both my brother and I and they frequently gave us the benefit of the doubt and when they didn’t understand something they asked questions instead of hammering us. When the evening was over both of them had a much clearer idea of what “marijuana” was and it’s effects and both could see that it wasn’t something that had a hold on either of us. Even at age 96 my mom is still cool and open minded; she still drives, has a boyfriend (my dad passed in 2001) and reads without glasses. Oh...and did I mention she and my dad allowed me to waste my entire youth riding a skateboard?