There are things our mothers always tell us that never leave our minds even after they are no longer with us.
My mom always told me that everything was better when I was there. That experiences were more fun and that she enjoyed herself more. That I brought something to the atmosphere like no one else...
I thought of her with every blueberry I picked. Every sound of the loons talking back and forth. She was with me as I hiked the portages with a heavy pack on my back. As I enjoyed s’mores every night. And at every campsite, as I found perfect rocks for her to sit on and...
I have a soft spot for teachers. The idea of schools and teachers gives me the warm fuzzies. My mom was a teacher for 28 years and I admired her greatly. We always rode to school together and I would play in her classroom before school started. And when I “grew up,” I would chaperone school trips...
It was August 12, 2004, and it was to be the first day of our annual family Boundary Waters Canoe trip. Instead of heading north however, I was speaking in front of 700 people at my mom’s funeral. Instead of paddling on the clean water dreaming about smores over the campfire, I was kissing my...
