When I was a little girl, I could never be without my Mother. I remember distinctly a time that she was attempting a trip to the grocery store in peace, safe from 3 pairs of flailing arms pulling for every sweet or goody in the aisles. However, she made it halfway down the driveway before I wriggled loose from my father’s grasp and hurled myself against the side of the moving van. His attempt to peel me off from my mother’s rear-view mirror was in vain, and alas, I sat triumphantly in the passenger seat all the way to the grocery store. Had I known it then, I would have been thinking “Winning!” all the way there.

In short, I’m a Mama’s girl.

The hardest part of moving to DC was leaving my family. Though I lived for several years in tidewater, VA in my early 20’s, and at one point lost my mind and moved to Istanbul for a short few months, I had gotten readjusted to life in NY, a few hours down the thruway in Syracuse from my family farm in WNY.  Far enough away to avoid getting roped into daily chores, but easy enough to flee responsibility in Syracuse and disappear on my farm for the weekend.

Last April, my mom had a near fatal accident, breaking her neck and landing her in a halo for 10 weeks. I spent weeks by her side in the hospital, taking extensive time off from school and driving hours each way to sit with her and learn just how incredible the nursing profession truly is.

She survived, and more than that, is thriving. And with that accident, I had the chance to see what the world could be like without my Mom. We’ve always been as tight as two people can get, but even moreso now.  The new perspective my Mom has on life is inspiring, and in time, you’ll hear all about that too.

However, this weekend Scott and I won’t be doing brunch on Sunday in DC. Because today, for the first time in 2 months, we are driving home for a long weekend to see our families. So brunch will be had, but most likely on my kitchen table surrounded by all of the people I hold most near and dear to my heart. 

This morning, I’m procrastinating a wee bit before heading out the door to school. Sitting with my pups on my bed, enjoying the taste of my coffee, and knowing that in a little over 12 hours (and a 7+ hour drive in the car), I can walk through the door of my big old farmhouse and finally feel home again. 

Enjoy your weekend,

-Al