My mom passed away yesterday. She was 94 and she died peacefully. This is obviously a time of great sadness for me and for my family. But, it's also a time for fond remembrance. Both of my parents worked so hard to see that my brother and I had a better life. As parents do, they sacrificed in order that we could enjoy a life a little bit better than their own. 

The gift of cooking

My mother obviously gave me life and many things. But, the gift I think I cherish the most is my love of food and cooking. When I was a little boy, I would remember coming home from school to warm and magical smells from the kitchen that would fill the entire house. To this day, I can bring myself back to the moment when I would open our front door, and the smell of cakes, pies, soups, stews would greet me and say, you are home.