Hard to believe it is 14 years today since my Mom died...I miss her everyday but like most of us who have lost someone special, we realize that certain days can trigger a more prominent memory and a deeper sadness...today is like that for me...as is her birthday and I also feel the lose more on Christmas...but breakfast though, that is a sadness all in it's own category...
My Mom and I both belonged to the same weight loss group...TOPS. I have lost over 100 pounds with them, starting way back in 1982. Before I even reached my goal my Mom joined with me...she didn't have as much weight to lose but it was good for her also and it gave us a connection. Until the day she died, she was still a member and at all the Tops functions, that I attended, as the biggest loser for the State of Massachusetts in 1983, my Mom was there.
I started a morning group and we held our Tops meetings, on Fridays, at my church. We would weight in, stay for the meeting, and then head to breakfast...it was our one real treat for the week and we did it every Friday...after breakfast we would head off shopping and then I would drop her home at around two in the afternoon. Sometimes it would be just my Mom and me for breakfast but many times we would have a following. Each declaring Friday breakfast their cheat day..
When my Mom got sick she came to Tops as often as she could and we would still do breakfast but not go shopping anymore...she tired easily and then when she went into rehab after being on a ventilator...we never went to breakfast again...because she never came home.
On the day she died, we were all with her at the hospital, including my pastor who was also my friend...as we prayed for an easy passing...Anne came over to me and said...how lovely is this that you Mom chose today to pass...I was in shock as to what she might have meant by that...and I expressed that...her answer was..".Cheryl, today is Friday...and it's 1:45...your Mom gave you one more Friday of spending time together.".She was right...I looked at the clock and knew that this last day was my Mom's gift to me...to tell me that we could always have Friday morning breakfast together...
So this breakfast in is memory of my Mom...I know it's not Friday..but I also know she would have loved this French breakfast...yup, when I was a kid she would eat cake for breakfast...my kind of woman...Miss you Mom, everyday but especially on Friday's...
How much does a man live, after all?
Does he live a thousand days, or really only one?
For a week or for several centuries?
How long does a man spend dying?
What does it mean to say "for ever"?
Pablo Neruda
Linking up with Kim Klassen "Be Still" week 35.
This photo was taken with my new Fuji X-E2 Mirrorless Camera...