This Mother’s Day I’m sharing one of my favorite memories of my mom.
Camping is a passion of my mom’s. She was fortunate enough to have been raised with some amazing camping experiences and she did her best to share her love of camping with her children.
When I was little we used to go camping twice a year with several other families at a little beachside campground in Santa Barbara. After a long day of swimming and sunbathing, our days ended with all of us gathered around the campfire for s’mores and storytelling. The adults would get involved in their grown-up conversations while us kids teased and joked with each other. Sitting low in our beach chairs in the cool night air, we would rest our sandaled feet on the iron fire ring as our eyelids grew heavy. Before long, one of the children was bound to ask mom to play a song on her guitar.
We loved to listen to her strum her guitar. She knew the chords to everything – scout songs, hymns, even a bunch of old country ballads. Mom enjoyed leading the group in singing, but sometimes she sang songs that only she knew the words to.
I thought she had the most beautiful voice.
As stillness set in among the camp sites and my younger siblings one by one drifted off to sleep in their chairs, I remember closing my eyes and letting my mom’s singing wash over me. My mom’s singing and the smell of a beachside campfire are some of my favorite childhood memories.
The smell of campfire still makes me think of Mom and her guitar.
This Mother’s Day I don’t have much to give her, but my mom isn’t fond of many material things anyway. She treasures time spent with loved ones over any gift you could buy. Instead of a gift I just want to say thank you, Mom. Thank you for instilling in me a love of song and a passion for the outdoors. I appreciate you so much because I know that your life revolved around the love you have for your children.
I love you Mom.