She keeps those hands busy this mamma of mine. She loves in action and says more with yeast and flour than others can, even with all of their flowery words. Her love smells like gingerbread, tastes like huckleberry pie.
She clothed me in jumpers, the worlds most extraordinary Halloween costumes and hand stitched quilts.
It was the sick beds and the home remedies and the makeshift oxygen tents.
It was murals on our walls and wooden mouldings carved.
It was every shirt ironed, every field trip attended, every sports event observed.
It was intricately decorated birthday cakes and handmade cards.
The garden was grown, the dough was made, the Christmas bread always baked. It was family meals twice a day at least.
It was the way we watched her love her daddy in his last days, not with poetry and sappy cards but with daily lunch fed, walls decorated, toenails trimmed. I think it was then I understood for the first time, the depths of this expression of love.
It is the language she speaks the dialect we all understand.
It isn’t really a surprise then is it? That if I like working with you I will buy your coffee, bring you baked goods. If you show up at my house and say “I just ate” I really have no idea how to show concern for you. If you have recently birthed a 15 pound baby, I don’t know how to help but to show up with a casserole. It is possible that I only understand your acts of service, your reckless hospitality.
And so. Though I can’t always (read as never) proclaim my love from the roof tops? Thankful that my man understands the sentiment behind a well marinated steak, a breathing bottle of red.
And mamma of mine? I love you so much and I understood every word you ever baked.
Linking with Emily and
What was it your mamma did that made you know you were loved? Something other than the words? Share in the comments?
Putting it all in the ‘be a better mamma vault!
one thing blog 
Beautiful, “I understood every word you ever baked” – Looking back was so much fun this week.
Thanks for reading Heather! Loved your story too!
Love this Melissa… Tears from me and I am sure from your wonderful Mom as well. …
Wonderful is right! Thanks for reading Auntie!
Hey, Liss,
Love her and you! Thanks for this!
Dad
Love you too Daddy-O!
Sweet daughter….you made me cry again. Luva…luva….Mom
LOVE YOU!
Way to make me cry, Melissa!:) This is such a beautifully written tribute to your mom… I feel as though I know her. I want to BE her… Thank you.
Blessings ~ Mary
*www.marywomantowoman.blogspot.com
your mom sounds like an amazing woman! wow…what a beautiful and incredibly treasured tribute.
http://dramaticelegance.blogspot.com
She is! Thanks for reading.
What a lovely tribute to your mother. You are so very blessed. Thanks for linking up at IP.
Melissa,
This is my favorite line here: “She loves in action and says more with yeast and flour than others can…” Beautiful!
Hopping over from Imperfect Prose’s link up. Nice to meet you.
Jennifer Dougan
http://www.jenniferdougan.com
oh, so tender and beautiful, friend. i love when you link up 🙂 bless you.
I just love this… especially about the toenails. Thank you for the teary reminder of what is/will be important to my children, and of all those expressions of love I must remember to not take for granted myself. Beautiful words.