Tradition

It was around mid-July when the cravings started to hit. Then, the vivid dreams and nightmares began just these last few days. No, it's not pregnancy. It's back to school time!

I don't know where the tradition started, but I can't remember a time when it didn't exist. As the years would pass and us kids grew up not many things were constant, but the first day of school always was. No matter what that first day meant, whether I was bummed because my teacher was strict and gave too much homework, excited to have J.J. in my class again to talk to, or scared to go back the next day, I was always greeted when I came home to the smell of spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove and warm chocolate chip cookies. Together, mom would sit with us and hear all about our day over a snack of cookies and again, we would share the events as a family over a dinner of spaghetti and garlic bread.

Even after all of these years, as the school supplies start hitting the shelves, I start thinking about those cookies. And even though Dan nor I are still in school, we still mark the occasion with our own feast of spaghetti and chocolate chip cookies. But this year, I am especially nostalgic, realizing now that no matter how wonderful mom's famous spaghetti sauce is or how perfectly chewy her chocolate chip cookies were, I know that's not what it was all about. It was about her, creating an amazing tradition that even on the scariest of days in my young little life, I knew there was something I could count on when I came home. Yes, it was a cookie. But a cookie in the hand of an amazing mom and friend, waiting with a hug, a smile, and the confidence to face the next day.

So tonight as Dan and I enjoy our first day of school celebration I'll be thinking of the days ahead as I pass this tradition on to my little Hudson and await him coming home to hear all about his adventures on his many first days to come.

Thank you, Mom, for creating this wonderful tradition. And even though we may be apart on this "first day," know the tradition will forever live on in our family. I love you.