I came downstairs the other day and on my counter was my mother-in-law’s teacup… waiting to be washed on the counter.

A flood of emotion passed through me in an instant… it was almost like she was here again. For a moment, I could look at the cup and believe in my heart that she was just in another room and not in ‘a better place,’ and realized that I still miss her as badly as losing her three years ago.

Strange how a small item would bring back memories so strongly. It is much like the faintness of her fragrance on a sweater I took from her after her passing. I have it in my closet and put it on sometimes. In three years, I haven’t washed it (haven’t really gotten it dirty), but if I do wash it, it won’t smell like her anymore and I will feel a great loss for some reason.

We have a number of her things from her kitchen in storage. We have four young adult women that will need kitchen things when they get themselves established and will be glad to use the familiar items that were the staples of mom’s life. But my Christina rescued the cup from somewhere and has been using it.

She asked me this morning if Nonna had a set of the cups and it was in storage and I told her, no, Nonna would buy a cup that she thought was pretty–or four cups, but she wasn’t about formality, she was about beauty and comfort. I on the other hand, would buy 10 because I wanted 8 (building in the eventuality that one or two would break–likely from my own hand).

Anyway, chilly weather is returning and mom’s sweater hangs in my closet. Like an old friend, I’ll put it on some chilly winter morning and hug mom.