My Mom

I made wheat pancakes for breakfast and ate them with home made syrup and inevitably I thought of my Mom. She always made a hot breakfast for us to eat before school because it was the most important meal of the day. And wheat pancakes were one of her favorites. Now I cheated and used Aunt Jemima pancake mix from a box. My Mom would actually grind the wheat in the blender and make the batter from scratch. I hope to do it that way someday. Maybe when my kids are older. The saying is true - you don't know what you have until it's gone. You know, I miss my Mom every day. But I am so thankful that I had a good relationship with her. That I could (and did) call her every day and tell all about the mundane mommy stuff going on in my world and she cared. Besides my husband she was one of my biggest cheerleaders and someone who could comfort me with the pat of a hand. I am typing this with the biggest lump in my throat and tears streaming down my face because I never realized or appreciated enough how much she did for me and how much she sacrificed for me and how much she taught me. Just by doing and showing me that the little things are the ones that count that the most. Like wheat pancakes and home made syrup.

My Mom didn't want me to take this picture. She hadn't fixed her hair yet. She was holding my kids so we could load up our van and head back home. I am so glad I did. I had no idea it would the last time I saw her.