Remembering Her // Marilyn's Birthday

this awesome idea!

Chaunchy mollicks at midnight, anyone?

That was a common occurence at my house growing up. You see, my mom was known for always have a secret stash of M&Ms that she could pull out at any given time. She was a night owl and loved to stay up late, playing The Barbie Game in over sized t-shirts. My friends liked me, but my mom, I think she was half the reason they wanted to hang out at my house. She made everyone feel welcome.

This blog, started back in 2009, was my way of remembering her. She lost the battle with cancer back in 2001, and there isn't a day that I don't think of her. I was afraid of forgetting her, her traditions, recipes, and all the little ways she made life festive. So I started writing. And taking pictures. And blogging. I invested some time in composing valuable content and might have gotten some help from web designers melbourne (or one situated near my location), but it was worth it. And now we are here, a little closer to success. I won't say that I am successful yet since I know I can improve the reach of my blog as well as the content produced, but for now, I am satisfied and happy.

I love this part-time gig. I really do. But, I do it because when I'm festive, I feel closer to her. She made life fun and festive, despite a small income with a family of 9 to live off of. Celebrations were not always elaborate, but you better believe there were celebrations. And now looking back, it's those little times she made the effort to celebrate that I remember the most.

A few of the simple celebrations I remember:

1. When I broke my foot and consequently had to stop track mid-season, she left a bag of Cadbury mini eggs on my dresser with a note that said, "Eat one each day and when they are gone, your cast will be off. Love, Mom."

2. I often found handwritten notes in my home-made lunch. Just because.

3. She was stellar at remembering and celebrating birthdays. She loved to take little gifts to friends.

4. On our 2nd to last day of school, she let us kids invite a friend to come with us to the grocery store to pick out a doughnut for breakfast. We had a 15-passenger van that we could all fit in and she drove that thing with pride.

I'm planning on sharing more of her simple celebrations in the coming months.

Your challenge for today: Do something small to celebrate. Life is to be enjoyed. And you will create memories that you won't forget.

**Image from my family's celebration of ALL being together after 4 ½ years. Since my mom couldn't be here with us, we sent a party to her with notes on balloons.