this week, maddalena and i made the quick trip up to lexington to see my grandmother, bettye mom, with my mommy and sister. i love when i get to join in on these trips! and even though our december has been so busy, i really wanted to make it up there during the christmas season. i miss lexington a lot, but i especially miss that beautiful town and my grandparents around the holidays. [my grandfather, pop, passed away over a decade ago and my bettye mom is now living with alzheimer’s in a pretty, notebook-esque care home.] so, it was really good to see my bettye mom and hug on her for the holidays!! she has always given the very best hugs. and of course, she just lights up when she sees maddalena! gosh, it makes me so happy to see her look at maddalena and smile. and maddo was so good to her, sharing stuffed animals and such!
i spent so much of my younger life in lexington, at my grandparents’ house, that i still feel like i’m missing something not going there. i miss the comfort of their house, the house my mom grew up in, and sometimes i have to go over in my head the memory of how it felt to be there so that i don’t forget. the way that it smelled. her house, her laundry, it all smelled so good. the way the air inside… sounded? if that makes sense? i think about hearing the soft beep of the microwave and the sound of “grown-up” voices before getting out of bed in the morning. the scent of her christmas breakfast. the way she said “good morning!” or “hey, sugarplum!” the laundry chute that we used to toss things down [although she got rid of it in one of her later remodelings]. the way she did everything perfectly, from cleaning to gift wrapping. her standards for everything were so far past martha stewart. like, you knew a bettye-mom-wrapped gift when you saw one. and i don’t want to forget these things! i like to be able to go back and feel the little details in my mind, but i feel like i’m already forgetting so much. but i am endlessly thankful that we still have her around to love on! and her chuckle, though i don’t think she knows what she’s laughing about most of the time, ha! it’s still just the same. and it feels so good to hear it.
we love you so much, bettye mom! merry christmas!!
sweetest post ever. So glad y'all had a great visit! xo
Thank you, my sweet daughter! This was so honoring to Bettye Mom and how we all remember her! It means the world to me!
This made me tear up. But I am rather emotional lately. It's amazing how quickly those little things can slip away. I always love how I'll catch a scent of something, like freshly paved driveways and I'll remember my poppop who passed when I was 7. Never really gone those memories. 🙂 Happy Christmas to Bettye Mom!
I just realized today as I went to thank you for your condolences that you've never been receiving my replies! And I always reply. Apologies! My responses have just been floating around the internet void. So thank you for your kind thoughts.
That last picture is so precious. They clearly have a connection only they know about!
I just love that first picture of you guys. Pretty ladies!
aw sounds like you had such a good trip! that last picture is precious, especially the way her and maddo are looking at each other – melts my heart <3