Another shot of Mom and me. :)

We lived beneath the shade of the maple tree. We were safe there, once upon a time, and happy. When the mailbox still towered over me and the softness of your face against mine spoke volumes. 

This was us, Mom. Where we started, when we didn’t know where we’d end up. Now, after all the happiness and the sadness, triumphs and heartaches, highlights and low, you are still my refuge. I always find you under the maple tree, when the light’s gotten too harsh, and there in the shade, you protect me.

I love you, Mom. Happy Mother’s Day to you, and to all of the moms out there!

Mom and me, then and now. :)

I went to the Farmer’s Market in downtown Port Jefferson this morning, the first of the season. As I walked from vendor to vendor, my gaze went past the farm-picked vegetables and fresh baked bread to the harbor across the street.

I used to walk on the docks with my parents when I was a kid, and oftentimes, I would tip-toe along the edge of the pier, oblivious to the chilly waters of the Long Island Sound below. Despite my propensity for clumsiness, I never fell in, and I credit this to the eyes of a watchful mother.

Through so much of my life, I walked on the edge of many piers, and were it not for my mom, I would have drowned long ago. I am grateful to her, today and every day, for the eyes, hands, and heart that have kept me safe for all these years.

To all mothers everywhere, a very Happy Mother’s Day to you, and thank you for what you do.