Honor your Mom in a Special Way

My Mom and I

My Mother in Law and I

I have been blessed in my life with two loving Moms.  My lovely, loving Mom and my sweet Mother in Law who welcomed me as a daughter years ago when I married my husband.  I honor both of these remarkable women who have taught me so much over the years.  Though my Mom has passed, I carry her in my heart every day. 

I am the oldest of five children.  Our Mom was a stay at home Mom and full time homemaker.  She worked endlessly each day to make sure our meals were on the table, our home was clean and organized, our clothes were washed and ironed (yes, ironed), our activities ran smoothly, leaving very little time for herself. My Mom went to work to earn money for a movie camera when I was a newborn so she could record movies of me and send to my Dad who was stationed in Alaska in the Army until I was a toddler.  She built a sandbox herself when my brother and I were little.  Dad worked 6 days a week supporting his family of 7. 

 When our Mom passed away unexpectedly 5 years ago, our lives turned upside down.  Of course we are all adults with families of our own.  But personally speaking, as certain as life does goes on, when you lose your Mom, part of your spirit gets lost too.  My Dad still lives in the house my parents shared and where we all grew up.  It is a comfort to look around and visualize all of the memories of childhood in the same house.  I treasure a few of my Mom's belonging I have, but of the most precious to me are the round cake pans that Mom used over the many years to bake our birthday, holiday or family dessert cakes with.  Of course I could easily purchase new ones.  But each time I use these special pans, I feel my Mom is by my side baking right alongside me. My daughter baked my birthday cake the year after Mom passed in these pans, because she knew how special they were to me, an act I will always remember with fondness and love.   

I also treasure Mom's recipe box with her handwritten recipes.  The most recent are the cookie recipes she baked every Christmas sealed in a plastic baggie for safekeeping.  They were on the top as she had just baked our families Christmas cookies 2 months before she passed away.  I still keep a couple of those cookies in my freezer from that Christmas.  Whatever made me bring them home that Christmas and put them in the freezer is a mystery to me since none of us knew it would be our last Christmas with our mother.  Perhaps deep down I knew something.  

Sunday, May 9th is Mother's Day, a day we honor our Moms, Moms in Laws, Grandmothers,  Daughters,  Daughters in Law, Sisters, Sisters in Law, Friends and all of the special ladies that have made a difference in our lives.  Whatever you hold special in your hearts, treasure the memory.  

Happy Mother's Day Mom.  I love and miss you every day.