Golden Syrup

Good day mate! I am feeling a bit nostalgic for my mother's land of Australia. My mom loved music, she loved broadway soundtracks, country - back when country was really country, and irish ballads, Foster and Allen to be exact. Most people these days don't know Foster and Allen. When I was a child I really thought my mother's music was a bit off. My mom's favorite song was the Green, Green Grass of Home, which has been sung by many, but this was her favorite. During my childhood when my mom would hear that song inevitably tears would start falling. She loved her homeland dearly, and always longed for it, she missed her sisters, brother and parents. I fell in love with my mother's music while she was dying of cancer. It has been over 6 years since my mother has passed on, and I can still close my eyes and remember the surroundings like it was just this morning. My brother Rob and his wife Cari, generously opened up their home to all of us siblings and our kids to spend my mom's last weeks together. My mom's hospital bed was placed in the middle of their living room so my mom could be in the middle of the day to day goings on. During her last days my mother's music played as the background music. Foster and Allen filled the room with their ballads on love and life, and sang her into Jesus' arms.
Those were some of the sweetest days of my life. Hospice walked us through the journey of a loved one passing on, we were there to love my mom and tend to her. I would keep her lips moist with a balm, and spray a moisturizing spray lightly on her face to refresh her. Many times I wanted to just lay down next to her and go to sleep in her arms like I did so many times in my childhood. My mom was always a nurturer. She was a great mom.
Yesterday I was in one of the local grocery stores and walking down the pancake aisle, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw something I havent seen in 25 years, Golden Syrup. I think I screamed in delight, went straight to the shelf and picked it up, held it in my hands, and then my eyes teared up, because I wanted to call my mom and tell her, she would have also screamed in delight and asked me to buy her some and ship it to her. Her scream would have been louder than mine because finding foods from Australia always made her happy, some of the things she has screamed in delight over have been, Violet Crumble, Vegemite, and Wheetabix, so the Golden Syrup would have put her over the top.
I miss my mom.

Comments

AbbieCRAZY said…
What's Golden Syrup? Pancake syrup? somthing with butter?
Tammy M. said…
Golden Syrup is like pancake syrup, but a bit of a different taste, we would use it on pancakes, peanut butter sandwiches like we do with honey now, and it is the sweetening ingredient in a recipe like we would use molasses for. The taste is different than any of those aforementioned. It is made of kane sugar.
Jessica said…
sweet post! Which store... may have to pick some up!
Sarah said…
It's moments like that when grief sneaks up on you! What precious memories of your mom. I know she was proud of you until her last breath and I can imagine that even now she is telling all around her to watch what you'll be doing next!:-)
Crashtest Comic said…
I missed my mom the other day--with my car.

She dove behind the dumpster and got away.

Next time--

www.crashtestcomic.com

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