Memories...

     I have this picture in my room of Mom and me.  It is actually my favorite pic of us.  We are sitting on the stage area of the Leroy Rogers Center at one of the last family reunions we had there.  Mom is wearing a beautiful blue pant suit and I am also wearing blue--a denim dress.   She has such an amazing grin on her face that every time I look at that picture, I just have to smile.   I guess I love that picture so much because we both look so happy.  I am happy to have so many special memories of just Mom and me.  
--Nursing Grandmomma McGhee through the last week of her life because Momma had just had leg surgery and could not do it.  Because I had time off from school, I became Mom's surrogate.  I remember her saying how proud she was that I didn't mind taking care of her momma-even if it wasn't always a pleasant experience as her health declined.  I remember calling Mom and Dad in the middle of the night that Grandmomma died.  When Mom arrived, she told me how glad she was that I was the one who was here with her. Just about every year since her death, Mom and I have had the chance to talk about that experience.
--I cannot count the hours I have spent cooking, pouring over cook books, organizing recipes with Mom.  Everything I know about being adventurous in the kitchen, I learned from her.  Because of those experiences, I have been able to not only support myself at times by cooking, but I deal with stress in my life by cooking.
--If you look in the dictionary next to the word "Grandmother", you will find Mom's picture.  She is everything anyone could ever wish for in a grandmother.  And she is so darn cute, too !

Momma is getting on in years and may not be the vital, rambunctious lady she once was.  But she still loves each of her children, grandchildren and great grand children unconditionally.  She loves her "eternal companion" the way only someone who has been in love with someone for almost 60 years can.   I don't know of anything I would change about the way Mom raised me.  I think I turned out pretty well.  (It was when I left home that I began to fall apart ! )  If I could change anything now about Mom, I think I would ask God to relieve her of her many physical aliments so the "little ones" in the family could see just how magical and cool Mom really is.