My earliest memories of my mom are when I am a preschooler around 4 years old and they were at our kitchen table or in our kitchen. My mom loved to cook and more than that she loved to feed us good hearty food so that we would grow up strong. I remember sitting at one of our chairs at the table with feet dangling down and being so happy that she cut my little sandwich into 2 quarters so I could eat them easier. Those small things were so big in my mind because they told me that my mom cared about me and that meant she loved me. She would always wake us up in the mornings and we would be greeted at the table with a griddle cooking pancakes or a steaming bowl of oatmeal or eggs with toast and bacon. We always had a glass of orange juice and milk. On Saturdays when we had more time, we all sat together and had a big breakfast and would talk and mom would love to tell all kinds of stories about her childhood and things the Lord did for her. I grew up really knowing my mom, because she was a communicator! A very honest person that loved God. During the week, I would usually wake up to the sound of my parents talking at the table. My dad got up early to go work at the mill. So, mom got up and fixed him breakfast first and then packed his lunch. Then my older sisters got up and went to high school and lastly but not least, my brother and I got up to go to grade school. Even when we were older and could get breakfast for ourselves, my mom would be up and fixing us breakfast. As you can tell this was her favorite time of day and her favorite meal. If you asked her which meal she would like to go out to eat at, she would choose breakfast. She said that is was always the best deal. Cheaper prices and more food! Another memory of my mom in the kitchen was when she baked my brother a birthday cake. It was a sheet cake shaped like an elephant with yellow frosting and had a black licorice tail. I remember just being able to peer up over the kitchen counter to see it and being so very excited. One time mom was making candy and had a candy thermometer in the hot boiling sugar mixture. She took it out and laid it on a plate on the counter. She looked down at me and said, “Now, don’t touch that. It is very hot and will burn you.” All I could think about was that there was some really yummy sweet stuff on it and when she turned her back I touched it and it burned my finger. I remember my mom scooping me up on her lap and holding me so tight and kissing me. She felt so bad that I burned myself even though it was my own fault. She knew I had learned my lesson and all I needed was her love and compassion. I never forgot it and I didn’t touch something hot again when she warned me it was hot. She taught me how to bake cookies, I made lemon bars when I was ten, she had me help her make the dressing for carrot salad and coleslaw and then as I got older she taught me how to cook meat and plan a meal. She gave me the basic recipe for pancakes and waffles that she had memorized many years before. My mom liked cooking but more than that she loved to see people eat and enjoy it. Now the years have slipped by and I am cooking for my family and my little girl peers over the counter wanting to watch and help me. Tomorrow marks the 23rd year of her death. I realized that the length of time that she has been gone to heaven is almost the same length of time that I remember her. I was just about 28 when she died and my clear memories of her began when I was 4 or 5 years old. I thought isn’t it amazing how the short years of our childhood stand out so big in our mind. They are small in length but huge in impact. I thank the Lord often for the home that I was raised in with parents who were loving, kind and served God. With that foundation I was able to weather the storms of adulthood, grow in the knowledge of God and now with much prayer and help from my husband, raising our daughter in those same values. I know the time will go quickly but these short years will have an eternal impact on her that will last her whole life through! Thank you Mama for your love and dedication to me and all the wonderful things you taught me!
