My Mom Taught Me a New Trick This Weekend!

I spent this weekend with my mother. Weekends with my Mom are so incredibly special especially now. You see, my Mom has AML which is an agressive type of leukemia. Every day, no, every moment with her is a blessing.

When we get together, there's no telling what we may do. It's enough just to sit with her and talk or not talk. This weekend was pretty usual. I went with her to her chemo appointment and watched with awe (yes, AWE) as she spoke to everyone in the office as if they were her best friends. Grace and love just flowed from her to the others in the office. I was so proud to be her daughter. The next day we took a little trip to my Aunt Betty's antique shop. And, then the next day we took a trip to the ER. That's just the way we roll these days.

Because of her illness, I hang on to everything she says. Her illness has taught me a lot about life, about how to live life. Because of her illness I find myself living more in the present. I find myself living as if each day is my last. So, the cooking tip she taught me this weekend is not nearly as important as the life lesson she teaches me everytime I'm with her.

Saturday morning we got up and my Mom looked at me with a gleam in her eye and said, "I'm thinking pancakes!" I eagerly answered, "Oh, yes, good idea...I'll make them." And she said, "I'LL MAKE THEM!" And even though I felt like she shouldn't make those pancakes for me, I should make them for her, I sat right there and watched her whip them up in no time flat teaching me a new trick as she mixed the batter. The trick was this, substitute a ripe banana for the oil in the batter. Those pancakes were divine! Of course, everything my Moma cooks is divine but the ripe banana made the batter light and gave the pancakes just a hint of that lovely banana flavor. Try it some time...it's really good and very healthy.

Also, let me encourage you to take life as the gift it is and just like you may savor a good banana pancake, take time to savor the gift!

Love you!