A Bushel, A Peck and a Hug Around the Neck

"I love you to the moon and back."
That seems to be today's popular saying by parents and grandparents to their children and grandchildren.
"I love you a bushel, a peck and a hug around the neck" is what my mother used to say to me and to my son when we'd say "I love you" to her.
I recently saw that quote on a hand painted sign at a craft show, a subtle reminder of days gone by, and I found myself frozen for a moment. Isn't it funny how the simplest of things can take your breath away at times? More than two years have passed since she left this earth, and although I'm 61-years old, I still miss her like it was yesterday and expect her to walk in the door any day now.

That being said, my recent visit to Colorado to see my cousin was just what I needed, and I'm so grateful for this new-found relationship that has come from my mother's passing. (This is the cousin that surprised me by visiting us here in Florida back in May. http://alwaysonmymindforeverinmyheart.blogspot.com/2014/05/discovering-family-good-better-best.html )
While we were in Colorado, they had their first snow of the season. The morning began with a hard and loud rain hitting the car (the largest drops I'd ever seen), but it soon turned to the silence of snow. I've seen and been in the snow, but I've never experienced the deafening silence of rain to snow. I had to get out of the car and play in it for just a while (well, long enough to build a little snowman).

From the top of a mountain, I was able to capture the surreal-ness of looking down on Silverton, Colorado, which took my breath away.

The next day, we took a drive over to Mesa Verde and visited the cave dwellings. My cousin kept wondering how many children fell off the edge of the cliff back in those days of nakedness and short life spans. Did they have leashes? From our vantage point, the dwellings looked like a child's attempt at building sand castles like those we see on our beaches here in Florida, and it was hard to imagine living in such harsh conditions.

My cousin and I spent so much time together, talking, looking at old photos, describing our mothers to each other, and hugging. But not wanting my husband to feel left out, I was also very grateful when my cousin's husband (a pilot) offered to take him high above the clouds (so to speak, because the sky was actually completely blue). They took flight and my husband took the helm at 10,000-feet; how thrilling for him!

Although I do have siblings, I have two cousins who connect me to my parents in a way no other person can; one living in Indiana and the other in Colorado. One is the daughter to one of my mother's sisters and the other is the daughter to one of her brothers. They are two of the kindest and most level-headed people I know - AND - they each carry keys to the 'locker' where family tales are stored. I learn from them, far beyond anything I can learn from my siblings. So, the connection is vital, but also warming.
The short trip was exhilarating - coming between a job I had for nearly 16-years and a new position I'm just starting.

With that feeling of renewal, I'm ready to tackle the pressures that will inherently come with this new job and do it with hug around the neck.


I love you, Mom and Dad - a bushel, a peck and a hug around the neck.