Another Reason to be Ready

It’s been a while since I last posted…guess I’m still trying to find some direction in light of everything that’s happened over the last month. We just celebrated Mother’s Day and held a small backyard memorial for my mom who passed away a little less than a month ago all in the same weekend. It’s funny, I feel like I’m ok, but then I know in a lot of ways, I’m not.

For the memorial, it was really supposed to just be a short toast with part of our family, with those that live close. We all agreed, we needed to share some memories and raise a glass to my sweet, beautiful mother. In the week before the get together, I began making plans for what to serve, where/how we should sit and everything in between all the while maintaining social distancing. I started to realize my backyard had to be as perfect as it could possibly be. I began scrubbing (or “swabbing” as my daughter joked) our deck. I bought some new chaise lounges for additional seating and wiped down our outdoor table and chairs until my hands were raw. I began to think about how my mom would want this to look. How it had to be done right.

I wanted to have a champagne toast to start things off, so I got out my best glassware and bought a few bottles of bubbly. I figured we would raise a glass, share some memories and some tears and hopefully, not share any germs. The evening went well, we were able to stay outside and keep our space and share what we loved about my mom.

All this made me realize, even more now, that being a little prepared for a spur of the moment event, whether it’s happy or sad, can make a big difference in life…It’s also made me realize that when something is important to you, like creating beautiful spaces, delicious meals and carving out time to be with loved ones – being a little ahead of the game can keep the stress down and make the time even more special. I hope to be able to host a big celebration of my mom’s life soon, but until that time, this small gathering has helped in the healing process…and I think my mom would have approved!