MEMORIES of MOMMA*:
In 2009 when I first told my Mom I was moving to Alaska, she teared up immediately. The tears were quickly followed with "Are you crazy?" It was a rhetorical question.
My Mom visited Alaska for the first time in the summer of 2012. I had just gone through a divorce, and I needed my Momma. We spent two weeks together in my tiny 498 square foot condo, and we started rekindling our relationship, which had really suffered during my marriage.
In 2014, Mom visited Juneau for 4 weeks, and that's when the real mother-daughter bonding started. We were having such a good time that I called the airline company and changed her ticket. She was with me a total of 6 weeks that summer.
2015 was her last visit to Alaska, and we had the time of our lives. No exaggeration, it was the best visit ever. She stayed with me, in my little one bedroom home, for two solid months. This is when we truly, deeply, emphatically became best friends.
Mom absolutely adored her trips to Alaska, and I loved having her here. Afterall, it's what brought us together again.
*It's Day 60 of my 71 day photo series in honor of my dear sweet Momma who passed away on 03.21.2016 after a harrowing 71 day health battle. Those 71 days do not define her. Oh no. What defines her — and me — are the incredible 66 years that she lived her life. I hope you enjoy these snapshots of the beautiful moments and memories of her life.