Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy Mother's Day

Today is Mother's Day.  It is a great day to celebrate my wife.... who does so much for our family everyday.  This year we made her beignets for breakfast (from Cafe Du Monde mix..... we honeymooned in New Orleans, so beignets have special memories of walking around the French Quarter covered in powdered sugar). We will also go to see a movie as a family and then I will make paella for dinner.

The day also reminds me of my my own mom who passed away 29 years ago.  She was cool, loving, funny, and died way too young.    

When your mom is gone, Mother's Day is bitter sweet.  I smile thinking about all the things she did to make life more fun, but I am sad she never met her daughter-in-laws or her grandchildren.

In college I spent several mother's days with my friend Jay, who had also lost his mom too early.  I have great memories of us having a few beers at the San Diego Padres game and toasting to the "Betty's" (they were both named Betty) or going out for dinner while most of our other friends were home visiting their families.

However, it is See's Candy that most often makes me think about my mother.  She had a bit of a sweet tooth, and every time we would walk into a See's store the people who worked there knew her by name and they knew what she wanted to taste as a sample.  Apparently she often went in just to buy one or two pieces.... like an addict sneaking a fix.

She once hid a box of the special candy in the dishwasher, then told my older brothers if they helped around the house, she had some candy as a reward.  Yes, my oldest brother ran the dishwasher as a way to be helpful. Oops.

Another time she hid a box in the linen closet, and forgot it was there.  Several months later there were thousands of ants in the sheets. YIKES.

When I travel to California I often go to a See's Candy store and have a few pieces of her favorite candy (the Bordeaux), and maybe a few of my own favorites (Dark Chocolate Molasses Chips).  Yep, I inherited that sweet tooth.  I can't say no to a piece of See's.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there!!!

Have A Great Day

thom singer


No comments: