Since the kids are exasperated only by the slow pace and seeming random story threads Ted is telling, the more obvious conclusion is The Mother is alive and well in 2030. Fans have pointed out how Ted only speaks of her in the past tense, but this is not entirely uncommon when people talk about a person who is out of the room in real life. The kids wouldn't be so callous if The Mother was either dead or dying. Perhaps, as some fans theorize, she passed away several years before, healing some of the wounds the children would have, but this is also a very uncharacteristic trait for children to have about a parental loss. The Mother could very well be alive in 2030, simply out for groceries or saving the world from poverty. A possible reason for Ted's brief emotional breakdown might be because his own mother passed before his wedding and didn't get to know The Mother and their grandchildren really well. Granted, the evidence seems to be tipping the other way at the moment, but much of that is pure speculation. Perhaps The Mother was even sick at one point, but lived through it and got better? Maybe they only had a health scare and Ted is simply happy to have her in his life still? Or perhaps an entirely different fate awaits them.
Richard Church has a Bachelor of Arts in English and a diploma in Television Writing and Producing. He is an aspiring writer for short stories, novels and screenplays. He is also an avid fan of comic books and graphic novels.
