I’ve been thinking about my mom lately, for no real reason except that the happiness of her memories is now greater t...

I’ve been thinking about my mom lately, for no real reason except that the happiness of her memories is now greater than the sadness of not having new ones. One of my favorite things I’ve done was to sit down with her and write down every bit of family lore she wanted to talk about: child memories, funny family nicknames, how she and my dad moved around when they were first married, war stories her uncles had shared, how her mom ran a diner and was known for her baking, everything. We had grand and wide-ranging conversations with laughter, a little melancholy sometimes, and a deep dive into a rich history that once gone would be gone forever. Now I have that and can share it with my own family. It was one of our last special times together and I cherish it.