Hapy Mother's Day, Mom

It will be 5 years on May 22nd since my mother passed away from Alzheimers. When she died, I remember driving home with the sun setting in the west and I knew that she was finally at peace. Mom had not known my Dad for several years by then even though he dedicated himself to caring for her at home (with only one reprieve of about 8 weeks). She sometimes didn't know my two sisters but I thank God that she always knew me and called me by name. And she had suffered from rheumatoid arthritis since she'd been in her 30s, so bad sometimes she had to have gold shots.

I can still see Mom in the kitchen. She loved to bake and made the absolute best lemon meringue pies! She did canning and pickling every August. When we were all grown up and had our own children, she made a point of having a "corn roast" for the entire family just before Labour Day. I have photos of Mom teaching my older daughter how to make cookies and of her teaching my younger daughter how to knit. Speaking of knitting, she made a lot of beautiful outfits for my two girls from before they were born until Mom's hands could no longer manage the needles because of the arthritis. And oh how she loved babies! When I came home from the hospital with my first child, Mom brought over a cake with "Welcome Home, Mommy" written on it. She could hardly wait to hold Jamie and always called her "Princess."

Mom was very smart even though she didn't go past high school. She loved to travel and after her first visit to Spain, she taught herself Spanish. She also played golf and bridge and entertained friends at our home. I can remember lots of parties at our house.

Mom was beautiful, too. When I was in the first grade, the mothers were invited to watch the class in session. We children were told NOT to turn around in our desks to look at or talk to our Moms, but I found a way. I very casually dropped my pencil and as I reached down to pick it up, I snuck a peek to see if my Mom was looking at me. I can remember catching my breath realizing how beautiful she was compared to the other Moms. After a few times casually dropping my pencil, the teacher said to me, "Leslie, that's enough now." I knew I'd been caught but my Mom just smiled her beautiful smile.

Now that I'm a mother myself, I know the love a mother has for her children and find solace knowing that she loved me to the end. I keep the memories of the special times we shared deep in my heart and when I find myself missing her, I remember those times and smile. So even though she's gone ahead of me, I still wish her a wonderful Mother's Day with her loved ones that greeted her with smiles and hugs at those pearly gates. I love you forever, Mom.