Life After Mom: A Mother’s Day Tribute

For the first few years following my mother’s passing, Mother’s Day was a painful reminder of her absence. While others would bustle about excitedly to choose a greeting card and the right flower arrangement to give, I would do my best to avoid the sale papers and television commercials full of happy, smiling families. I missed her so much. And I didn’t have a clear idea of how long the sense of loss would last.

If you have recently lost a parent and are feeling as I did about the holiday, my message to you is this: It may not be this year, and it may not be next, but eventually the sadness of your loss will give way to the happiness that your memories bring you.

I have so many treasured memories of my mom. When I think of Mom, I think warmth, love, kindness, and fun. I can see a lot of my mom in me today. She was very social and made the most of life. She was fiery and loved her Manhattans. She would smoke as she stayed up late to watch the craziest shows from her favorite rocking chair—a chair I still have. I also have the first doll she ever bought for me, A Tiny Tear Doll. It was the first doll that would cry wet tears after you feed it with a bottle. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Some of my favorite memories are of walking into the house and smelling the many wonderful aromas of her cooking each night. Monday chop suey, Tuesday tomato steak, Wednesday chili. Then Thursday roast beef and potatoes, Friday pizza and shrimps, Saturday cold cuts. And pasta with meatballs, salad and lots of red wine on Sunday.

Because my mother came from a large family of brothers and sisters, I grew up with a strong sense of family unity. Despite her absence, the get-togethers still continue, and they are events I look forward to each year.

For those of you fortunate to still have your mom on this Mother’s Day, cherish her today and every day. The memories you create today will last you a lifetime.

Love to my mom,

Irene