Amanda Lamb: Holiday nostalgia

I think one of the best things about holidays is the nostalgia that they bring to mind. It’s hard to believe that my mother died nine years ago this month, but I can remember our family July Fourth celebrations like it was yesterday.

She would line long tables in the backyard with red and white checkered tablecloths. My hair would still be damp from swimming in the pool that afternoon. The menu was surf and turf-lobster made by my grandmother, steaks cooked on the grill by my dad and corn on the cob. For dessert, there was always watermelon and popsicles for the kids.

After the meal, all the kids were given sparklers and we would run around the yard. My mom usually had me dressed in some very corny red, white, and blue outfit that I wore very reluctantly.

I’m not sure how much of this I actually remember, or how much of it came from looking at old photographs. But either way, it is a comforting childhood memory to have, one that I will always cherish.

So, as I think about my mom this week, I will remember how she always made holidays special. And even when I think about that scratchy, patriotic sundress that I couldn’t wait to get out of, I will remember that she did everything with love.