Mother's Day has always been a happy day in my family because we have been blessed with three of the best Mothers that any family could ever want. This year was the first time in my life when Mother's Day was missing a Mother. My Baba Freidke's passing is still fresh in all of our hearts and minds and it left a palpable hole in our observance of Mother's Day this year.

I still remember shopping for cards a few weeks before the day and automatically selecting three cards before remembering that only two were now required. I don't think this is what people usually mean when they talk about greeting cards bringing a tear to one's eye. 

For this reason, my Brother and I visited the Mt. Sinai Cemetery on Sunday morning with our Zaide, Chaim; to remember Baba and include her memory in this special day. We also took the opportunity to pay our respects to Baba Clara, my Uncle Stanley's Mother.

Though painful, our recent loss has reminded us of the love and support that our Mothers have always had for us. So when Blair suggested that he, Rani, Hal, and I (the "Children" of the family) host our Mothers for a dinner in their honour, we all felt that this was a fine way to show some small fraction of the love and devotion we feel for them. 

An added blessing this year has been the addition of Sarah to our circle. Her loving support (especially to me) has meant more than we can ever explain or repay. Sarah's Mother had recently come to visit from China which provided us with the opportunity to include her in our family celebration. As an added bonus, we also had the benefit of Sarah's exquisite culinary skills to make the meal truly memorable.