Today is Mother’s Day. I am not yet a mother, but three women who have shown me how it’s done leave me no doubt that I will be a strong one when the time comes. And when I falter, they will be there to support me.

Who am I talking about? My mother, my nanny, and my sister. Today, my post is dedicated to them. They are three of the most precious women in my life, for a myriad of reasons. I hope by the end of this post, they know just how precious.

My mother has worked hard her entire life. She taught me the value of hard work, and that nothing worth having is worth having without the hard work to get it. Some of my favorite memories of my childhood, though, are when my mom allowed herself to be silly.

Family food fights, having a Friday night dinner of Haribo Gummi Bears and pigs in a blanket, or spending a weekend tubing down the Guadalupe. My mother is a fiercely proud mother, who expected the best from my sister and I, but was there with a helping hand when sometimes our best wasn’t good enough.

My grandmother, my Nanny. It’s almost hard for me to write about her, because so much of who I am is because of her. She gave us her love of adventure and really, of life. She and my grandfather used those summer RV trips to teach us about the world, about good manners, and yup – about cooking.

I’m certain I got my stubborn will (along with my green eyes and widow’s peak hairline) from her. After all, this is the woman who married her husband in secret at the ripe age of 18, and then let the secret slip in a litany of curses and indignation when the unknown-to-her mother-in-law refused to let her borrow my grandfather’s car.

She taught me that family is the most important thing in life, and the surest way to show your family that you love them is to take care of them – feed them, kiss their boo-boos, and offer a loan when your crazy granddaughter wants to go work for Disney World for a semester. She and my grandfather made my dreams come true more than once, and it’s something I’m still trying to figure out how to thank them for.

My baby sister by 18 months, Chellee. We fought ever so much when we were little, culminating in a gigantic fight at ages 17 and 18 where my door ended up kicked off its hinges. Something changed that day. I’m not sure what, but suddenly we realized how much we loved each other. We’ve been best friends ever since.

I’ve never known a more caring, tender soul than my sister. She tears up at the thought of any injustice, but bawls at the idea of a child being wronged. She left a successful career as a graphic designer to follow her own dreams, and is now a labor and delivery nurse. She has more courage than anyone I know. She brought into the world two of the most gorgeous, beautiful, brilliant children I’ve ever met. She made me an aunt. How could I possibly explain to her what that means?

Mom, Nanny, and Chell – I wish I were home today to celebrate each of you as the wonderful mother you are.

 
I called Mom yesterday to ask her what her favorite dessert in the world is. She answered quickly: cheesecake. Then I asked the same about Nanny. “Lemon Meringue Pie, without a doubt,” Mom said.

Chell, I know your favorite is chocolate anything, but let’s let Mom and Nan have this year’s dessert. I promise to make something beyond chocolatey for next year.

Mom, and Nan, these Mini Lemon Meringue Cheesecakes are just for you.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Love,

Am

[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Mini Lemon Meringue Cheesecakes – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]