Prologue
PROLOGUE
Eleven Months Ago
My world,
The first year is the hardest.
That’s what I remember from when I lost my mother. I remember feeling as if the world were moving in slow motion, yet somehow spinning wildly out of control at a wicked speed all at once.
It was as if every little thing triggered me in some way. Even happy occasions felt depressing because I realized she wasn’t there to celebrate the big moments with me. What was worse was that she wasn’t there for the small moments. The small moments sometimes felt even more important to me than the big ones.
I’m sorry I’ll be missing out on the moments. The big ones. The small ones. The in-betweens. I’m sorry I won’t be there to give you the pieces of me you’ll need when the world gets heavy.
I’m sorry our goodbye came sooner than we’d hoped.
But I do want to leave you with something. A gift of sorts. It’s my recipe box. You know how much this means to me, and I want to pass it down to you. Hundreds of my favorite meals I’ve made for you throughout your life are within it. If you ever feel inspired to cook a meal, I want you to have this. I hope this helps you feel me when you lose your way. I hope you taste my love in every single bite.
I love you always. And then a little bit more after that.
Find me in the sunrises. I’ll always be there, waiting to shine on you.
Con amore,
Mama