Martha Thurston
This time of year always leaves me a little emotional. In 2008, my mother lost her battle with small cell lung cancer on March 30th. In 2016, my father passed due to stage IV COPD on April 2nd. He would’ve passed on March 30th, but he held on as long as he could. It doesn’t make this time of year easy. Both spent their last Easter on earth before leaving this world behind. Both were saved and washed in the blood of the Lamb. I’m sure that was a joyful reunion in Heaven.
No matter what we do in this life, our parents have a profound affect on our lives. Their lessons stay with us throughout our lives. We take those lessons, and we mix them with our own experience, and they become a part of who we are. We may alter them slightly as they come to fit our aesthetic of ethics, but the core value of who we are is embedded in those lessons that are passed down.
One reason for this blog is to share the food and memories of my life that were passed down to me by my parents. Food was a huge part of my life. We sat down as a family to eat each meal. Perhaps not breakfast during the week, but Sunday breakfasts were spent around the table together as a family. I’ve grown up learning to associate food with family time. It’s even something that I’ve tried to express to my own son as he raises his children. You need to have meals with your children. It’s a time to have them open up and talk about what is going on in life. Otherwise, your children will not see you as someone that they can come to and share what is going on in their lives. Opening that communication early is the key.
While food and celebrations were a huge part of my life growing up, bonding as a family through activities (camping, card games, and board games) was just as important. We would always have game nights or go camping/fishing together. Of course, when we went camping, we had more people with us. More family.
While I may choose to be emotional during this time period, it is a reminder to me to spend time with my family. My grandchildren should know what it is like to be close to your family. They should understand the importance of family, and of course, they should hear the stories of those who have passed away long before they arrived.
