"You will find as you look
  back upon your life
that the moments when you
   have truly lived
are the moments when you
   have done things
in the spirit of love."

Henry Drummond

I have alot of time on my hands now. I sit and do alot of thinking. Alot of my thinking is about my life, where I came from, the people who shaped me, the family that loved me unconditionally.

I was quite fortunate and blessed to have had two parents who loved me dearly, put up with alot of growing pains way past the age I should've been having them and never once made me question their love for me. I was one out of four children, one of the "middle" ones, the "baby girl" was my place in the line up.


I was also lucky to have lived in the same house with my parents until I married and moved out and they continued to live there until they both died. It was "home". To this day I think of it as home even though a new family lives there now. Alot of folks move from pillar to post throughout their lives....not me. My roots grow deep in that spot out on Cemetery Road.

The women in my family have played a tremendous part in making me who I am today, my Mama, my Grandma, my Mama's oldest sister, Aunt Evelyn and my daughter. All strong, southern women...kinda like our sweet tea down here, strong and sweet.

My Mama, God rest her soul, was a leading force in my life. She was my best friend, my confidante and my strongest supporter. She instilled in my all the necessary things that I would come to use throughout my life. My Mama was the best southern cook around and she taught me everything that I know about cooking. My sweetest memories of her is the times that we spent together in the kitchen, cooking, baking and just being together. I miss her so much!

My Grandma, my Mama's Mama was one of the most special people in my life. She WAS my best friend and my world revolved around her when I was growing up. I spent alot of weekends and most of my summers with her in that big ol wood framed house in that small lil town she lived in. Yards that she kept swept clean and flower beds that were spilling over with beautiful zinnas, roses and four o'clocks are some of the things that I remember most about her. That woman could make anything grow...unfortunately she didn't pass that trick onto me! LOL!

Even if you never have a child you can be like a Mama to someone and that was my Aunt Evelyn. She was always there for me no matter what or when. Throughout my life for the majority of the time she was single and very independent and successful. I remember her always taking trips to places that I only dreamed of and she always, always brought me something back from every one of her trips. Matter of fact I still have one of the poncho thingies that she brought me back from Mexico. I give her credit for starting my love for lingerie....every Christmas she would give me the prettiest negligee sets and for a young girl I thought I was something pretty special! I thought she was something pretty special too.

Then came the day that my own lil girl came into my life and I became a Mama, that was 28 years ago. She was my first baby and the first grandbaby on my side of the family so you can imagine! She was loved and spoiled to no end. But she turned out to be just like the generations of women before her...strong and sweet just like our sweet tea. I've watched her grow and blossom into a independent, successful and talented teacher and artist. A college graduate with honors. And even though we don't always agree, I'm so very proud of who she is and the woman she's become.

So with Mother's Day this weekend, my thoughts are filled with the women in my life, some here and some gone on but still heavy on my mind and filling my heart with the memories and lessons that they instilled within me. Whether you are a Mama or maybe an Aunt or sister, I wish you all a very Happy Mother's Day!! 

I think this has so much truth in it. Whatever life hands us, it may seem like at that time we might think it's the end of everything, but we pull together and rise up out of it and gain insight as well as strength from having gone through it.

This would so be me....