Dear Mom

I missed you terribly last week, Mom. I was reading a book that reminded me of you and then, several days before my birthday, I got an email from Daddy. "Is there something of Mom's you would like to have for your birthday?" he wondered. That did me in!

I tried in vain to think of just the perfect thing that I would want. I considered this and that, but nothing really struck me as just right. I finally emailed him back and said that I'd just as soon have you!! It's things like this that cause reality to hit me suddenly with the realization that you.are.not.here. That you will.never.be.here. That my time with you is o.v.e.r. It just seems so impossible that I can never ask you anything again; never tell you anything again; never listen to your stories again. I'm thankful for the years I had you, Mom. So thankful. But sometimes I miss you desperately!

There was one thing you had that kept coming to my mind that I've always wanted. I bet you could guess what it was, Mom, you knew how much I liked it! It wasn't something that was really sentimental. Not something that went way back or held lots of memories, but I knew I would love to have it.

Every year on your birthday you received a gift from a girl who shared a birthday with you. I remember the year your package contained a beautiful, blue teapot with "chimes" of cups and spoons hanging from it. Since I owned quite a collection of teapots, I thought your gift would look quite nice in my house! You just smiled and hung it in your kitchen window and said maybe you'd give it to me someday.

Today a package came in the mail, and there was my teapot chimes! I blinked back the tears, and swallowed the lump in my throat and listened to my girls exclaim and told them the story of your birthday gift. They didn't say that they wished it were theirs, but maybe I will pass it along to one of them....someday. For now I'll find a special spot to hang my gift, Mom. And I'll treasure a little piece of you every time it catches my eye.

PS. Thank you Daddy, you made my day!