Memories of my Mom and me

I always loved Jim Croce and I've shared these words from his song many times, "Photographs and memories, all the love you gave to me, somehow it just can't be true, that's all I've left of you." What do you do on Mother's Day when your Mom is no longer here? Besides shedding a few tears, I like to look at photographs and remember the good times ("memories that take me back to another time back to a happier day").

When I looked at my pictures, I was regretting that there weren't more of just my Mom and me in our last years together.  As we get older, I guess we stopped posing with just each other, a regret, but we do have group photos with both of us.

However, I did come across many of Mom and me when we were younger. It dawned on me as I was looking at these, that one of the benefits of being an only child is I didn't have to share her with another sibling. She was all mine. I am laying these memories here as I celebrate my precious memories of Mom and me on this Mother's Day, my fifth one without her in person, but her love has never left. The pictures are not necessarily in chronological order, but close.

As you can see, I was doomed with a weight problem from the start!

Uncle Joe, (Dad's brother) and my cousin, Carol.

Mom was a great lover of animals.

Too big for Mom's lap? No. 

Easter

Thanksgiving when Uncle Jack, Mom's brother, lived with us.

A very happy time.

Vacation at a cabin by a lake. More good times.

This was on the same vacation, playing cards of course. We always enjoyed playing all kinds of games.

Easter

Christmas--Lamb Chop, Hush Puppy & Charlie Horse

With our dog, Buttons.

With Grandma Casey (Dad's Mom)

Jump forward a number of years......

And a few more years....

 With Aunt Helen

 With Grandpa Casey

 With Grandma Casey

With Aunt Helen

Wonderful Cape memories that we all cherish. 

Her beloved Bambi

 Her beanie collection.

At her Happy Place and the comforting thought is that this is pale in comparison to Heaven. For now, I have photographs and memories and I am thankful for those wonderful memories we made.