My mother

I always get thoughtful this time of year. Not only is it Thanksgiving and therefore time to think about all I'm thankful for, but November 26th is the day my mom died. Today marks 13 years ago.
I was only 11 when she died, so many of my memories of her are foggy. I often wish that I remembered more. A few months ago, I was thinking about my parents (all three of them) and about what I have gotten from them. My dad's interest in learning and seeing how things work. My second mom's value of clarity and communication. But I was having a hard time figuring out what I'd gotten from my first mom. So I was praying about it and thinking for a while and I figured a few things out.
I randomly remembered a time when there was a bird's nest outside our living room window and my mom made a big deal out of us going to the window every morning to check on the eggs and then to see the babies. And we were all sad when we saw that the baby birds had left the nest. That sort of thing was classic for my mom. Enjoying the small things in life, whether it was baby birds or crafts or cooking. That is one of the things Torben says he loves about me, too. I enjoy the small things in life. Knitting tiny animals, savoring every bite of a chocolate chip cookie, having all sorts of little projects.
When we were visiting my sister Dana in Ohio, I mentioned to her that I don't like to wear much makeup because my eyes are constantly watering when I wear makeup. That's when Dana told me that our mom was allergic to makeup as well and that I ought to try the kind of makeup she used. I went and bought it and my eyes never water anymore. Simple yes, but it showed me a way that I'm like her...thanks a lot...
Those were a few things about her that I think she has passed on to me. There are probably more and I'm glad I'm still remembering things about her. She was very peaceful and loving and I always felt at ease around her. She was a beautiful person and I still miss her.