Traditions and Memories

Thanksgiving is {second only to Mother's Day} the hardest holiday for me since I lost my Mom over 5 years ago.  We always cooked it together....her making her "specialties" and me making mine.  Spending the day in the kitchen.  Together.  Sometimes it was just my family {which is an army unto itself} and sometimes there was extended family.  More food, more family, more fun. 



This is my 6th Thanksgiving without her.  Six years without her amazing cornbread dressing {although I try to duplicate it}, without her "diet" pumpkin pies, without her canned cranberry blob.  I miss making her go sit down so I could clean up her kitchen.  I miss her.  Everything is different now.

My Dad doesn't enjoy the festivities and the extra people in the house, although he does love the pies.  :)  We make the best of that for him.  My extended family.....well, that will never be the same.  And that, too, brings me sadness and feelings of great loss.  

I am thankful for all the wonderful Thanksgiving memories and traditions with my Mom....her vintage crockpot ALWAYS used for the dressing and her white creamer that was for the gravy.

I am thankful for my husband, my Dad, my kids and my ever-expanding family of sons-in-law and grandbabies.  


So, while everything has changed....there are some things that will always be the same, because those things are in my heart.  I will do my very best to fill the shoes of my Mom and make her proud.  I will do my best to carry on the traditions and pass on the memories to my family.

I started writing this blog post a few days ago as I struggled with the thought of another Thanksgiving without Mom.  But, the kids came, the cornbread dressing turned out pretty good, the girls helped me clean up and tummies were filled.  It was a good day and I am thankful.