My favourite Mother’s Day story

One summer, on a hot day, I snuck downstairs to the basement, opened the big, white, top-loading freezer, and dug into the forbidden stash of gallon-sized ice cream tubs (ice cream was strictly for desert at meals; we were eight kids so raiding goodies was a felony).

There I was, freezer door up, patting the fourth fat scoop onto a cone, each a different colour, when my mother walked in. Busted. Crime in hand, face crimson—what was she going to say?

Well, my sweet, pretty mom looked surprised and said, “Oh.” Then she took a breath, smoothed her hair and said, “Now that’s a good idea, dear; it’s hot, isn’t it? Won't you make me one?” And so we sat, eating illegal ice cream, grinning at each other.

My beautiful mother lived to 100; in these pictures she was 97. God bless you mom.

~ John