Before there was kids, before there was cancer, my mom and I went on trip to New York to see a friend of mine. I was six months preggo at the time with Coleman.
New York was our kind of city- busy, noisy, colorful and full of drama.
So much to do and see it could be difficult but being who we were, nothing was going to stop us. We took a boat over to the Ellis Island and I remember laughing with mom. It was so cold and windy- we looked like garden gnomes with our jackets on our heads, our hair whipping around us.
We looked for names of my dad's family on the granite walls. I remember standing inside the Statue of Liberty and look up, way up. I remember being facinated with her copper feet.
We took an elevator and then climbed many stairs until we made it to the Sears Tower. The city glittered at night.
I remember that night walking home by the projects and huddling close together, walking fast.
Mom had the idea we were going to be on the Today show so we got up really early and headed out into the cold. We stood in line with our glittered sign, AZ Gals Love Al. Later, we saw ourselves for 2 seconds on the TV, we were famous!
We went out on the town and saw an off Broadway show with Brooke Shields. I don't even know what it was called but we loved it.
My mom will be gone three years tomorrow. It's not a day I want to remember but for right now where I am in this journey of life after mom, I think about her on this day and I'm sad. I share this story because it was so long ago, before her first grandchild was even born. I want my kids to know her and her story, what she was like and who she was. They will find there are parts of her in them and that's how we learn to carry on, how she is always with us.
Carter asked me recently where heaven was. I was hard pressed to answer but managed to tell him it wasn't in the clouds like the movies. His reply: "Heaven is in our hearts." Wise words from my wise little man.