Dancing in the Kitchen
I have lovely memories of my mom. As the youngest of nine children, I was 26 years old when I got married, and within two years, my father died and mom came to live with us. Annie Thomson, my mother, was the oldest of nine children.
I loved when mom would sit down and begin telling her stories. She could talk for hours, recalling people and events that were new to me. She would tell me of people in her past and she loved to tell ghost stories.
Every morning, she always had the same breakfast: tea, toast, eggs and a banana. Mom’s favourite food was nuggets and fries at dinner (lunch). Then we’d get supper started which mostly included peeling potatoes and other vegetables in the kitchen.
Mom always smiled. In good times or bad, mom was happy. She buried all of her siblings, her husband and one of her children. Even through this, she never got sour or upset with anyone. She took it as part of life. She was a good Catholic.
My mom loved music. As we did the breakfast dishes or peeled potatoes at suppertime, we’d begin to sing songs. Mom would sing Molly Bond, a Newfoundland ballad that had lots of verses. This was a song she never ever forgot. Together we would sing A Mother`s Love is a Blessing and Tennessee Waltz. She related to that song. She could see that happening to people. She would say “that really happens, that’s a true story, you know”. We had no instruments accompanying us; we peeled and sang, peeled and sang. And then we’d dance in the kitchen.
Mom died two months ago at 92. She had dementia and would recognize songs when I sang to her. But it was Tennessee Waltz that I sang as she was dying. It was the last time I got to sing it for her. I wanted her to know I was there for her.