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What Mom Taught Me About Life

December 15, 2014 by Sonia Marsh 12 Comments

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Lola De Maci

 

“Simple Splendor”

“My Gutsy Story®”- Lola  Di Giulio  De Maci

 

I could always tell it was pie-baking day when I came home from school. The container of cinnamon was sitting on the kitchen counter alongside the sugar bowl. Mom was getting ready to make apple pie. That meant cinnamon rolls made from leftover pie dough. The sweet smell of cinnamon tickled my nose. I could hardly wait.

The recipe called for flour, shortening, salt, plus five spoonfuls of cold water. “You have to use cold water,” Mom would insist. “That’s the secret to making the best crust.” She took out her cookbook.

“Here’s the recipe,” she said, her eyes twinkling. “Cinnamon Pinwheels.” She handed me the cookbook as if she were presenting me with the secret as to what makes the Golden Gate Bridge golden. I accepted the gift, opening the book with reverential awe.

But it wasn’t a “real” recipe at all – just a pinch of this and a handful of that.

“Was this your mother’s recipe?” I asked Mom. The pages were worn with splotches of sugar and flour.

“Yes,” Mom nodded. “And my mother got it from her mother. Your grandmother, Ruth, baked just about every day: pies, cakes, cookies. But mostly bread. There was always a fresh loaf of bread on the table. ‘The staff of life,’ she would say.”

At that moment I knew I wanted to be just like my mom and grandma. When I grew up, I wanted to feed my family “the staff of life.” I was determined to learn that magic formula that my mother, grandmother and great-grandmother had perfected.

With the rolls piping hot from the oven, Mom would pour herself a cup of coffee, and I would get myself a glass of milk. Sitting side by side on the sofa, we celebrated the swirly treat. Just my mom and me. This was our special time. Bite by bite, I would make my way through the cinnamon roll to the “luscious lump” of dough, sugar, and cinnamon in the center – my favorite part.

“Can you make these pinwheels again tomorrow?” I would ask Mom. I couldn’t wait for the next pie-baking day.

And then one day Mom couldn’t remember some of the ingredients that went into making the rolls. I didn’t know a lot about Alzheimer’s, but I did know that I wanted to help her remember – anything. Mom was now living in a retirement home, and I would visit her for hours. Sometimes we talked. Sometimes we didn’t. It wasn’t easy watching my mother disappear into another world. And yet, it was an honor to sit with her…and dream.

Store-bought cinnamon rolls sat silently on the kitchen counter in her new home, waiting to be opened. I would take out two pretty plates from the cupboard and place a cinnamon roll on each. Then I would grab her big, caramel-colored mug with the word “Mom” etched on it in bold, curvy letters, fill it with coffee, and hand it to her. The mug with the brightly-colored Christmas tree painted on it was for me. No matter what time of the year it was, I loved the feeling of Christmas in my hands. It seemed to offer so much promise.

“Mom, I want you to make cinnamon pinwheels for me,” I would say kiddingly, taking her hand. “Just the way you used to make them. I loved them more than anything in the world.” And she would laugh. And I would laugh. I knew this was an impossible request – and maybe she did too – but that wasn’t the point. Maybe I wanted to remember for the both of us.

Mom’s been gone for eight Septembers now. She lived to be ninety-three years old. I think about Mom’s final days and how her illness stole her away from us. There were times I cried because I wanted my mother back. And then I would quickly replace those unimaginable thoughts with the many good times we had together. Shared memories. Mom could take something as ordinary and unpretentious as a cinnamon roll and celebrate it.

Thanks to my mom I have learned to see and celebrate the simple, unbridled joys of everyday living. A noisy squawk jay on my patio. A card from a friend in my mailbox. A cinnamon roll on a pretty plate. I have come to know and appreciate the beauty and splendor the world has to offer me.

And I am grateful. Very grateful.

 

Lola Di Giulio De Maci is a retired teacher whose stories appear in several editions of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Ultimate Series, Tending Your Inner Garden, Reminisce, various newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, and children’s books and magazines. She enjoys crossword puzzles, journaling, handwritten notes/letters, her children, and new beginnings. Lola earned a Master of Arts in education and English and continues writing from her loft overlooking the San Bernardino Mountains. Contact her at: LDeMaci@aol.com.

SONIA MARSH SAYS: Lola, what a beautiful story of love and gratitude for the small things in life that bring us pleasure. Something to remember during this busy holiday season.


 

View of Paris from L'Arc de Triomphe

I am leaving for London, Copenhagen, Paris and Amsterdam for the holidays. I shall post photos and news about my trip, so I hope you enjoy following me on my trip.

In the meantime, please submit your own  “My Gutsy Story®” for publication in the 2015 Anthology.

  Click HERE for GUIDELINES

Filed Under: Inspirational, My Gutsy Story, People Tagged With: “My Gutsy Story®”- Lola Di Giulio De Maci

Comments

  1. Lola De Maci says

    December 15, 2014 at 1:02 pm

    Dear Sonia,

    Thank you for helping me bring my mom’s story to life. She was a remarkable woman. I was proud to be her daughter.

    Enjoy your vacation. Europe is the home of my ancestors. My parents were from Italy.

    Love,
    Lola

    Reply
  2. Sonia Marsh says

    December 15, 2014 at 1:20 pm

    Lola,

    What a heart-warming story to share with everyone at this time of year.Thanks, and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
    Sonia Marsh recently posted..What Mom Taught Me About LifeMy Profile

    Reply
  3. Liz B says

    December 15, 2014 at 6:03 pm

    What wonderful memories you have of your mother! Thank you for sharing them. I lost my father to Alzheimer’s, as well as, my grandmother. It rips your heart right out of your chest, doesn’t it? I think it teaches us so much about appreciating what we have and enjoying all of life while we have it. Lovely story!
    Liz B recently posted..Gridiron and TutusMy Profile

    Reply
    • Lola De Maci says

      December 16, 2014 at 10:33 am

      Dear Liz,

      Thank you so much for reading my story and leaving me a message. I appreciate it. Yes, life deals us what it will. And we take it and live it one day at a time.

      I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

      Love,
      Lola

      Reply
  4. Sherrey Meyer says

    December 16, 2014 at 9:24 pm

    Lola, thank you for sharing your story. Your memories brought back many for me in my mother’s kitchen, with the smells of baking and preparing soups and stews. Although my mother never developed dementia per se, she also never wrote down her recipes. What a loss that was to my brothers and me! Some I had written down when I first married but some of our favorites were gone forever.

    Sonia, thanks for posting Lola’s story today. It was a lovely read.
    Sherrey Meyer recently posted..How to Be True to Both the Living and the Dead in Memoir by Guest David W. BernerMy Profile

    Reply
    • Lola De Maci says

      December 17, 2014 at 2:27 pm

      Dear Sherrey,

      When I first married, I tried to duplicate a lot of my mom’s recipes. But they never turned out like hers. After so many tries, you figure that our moms somehow had a “magical” recipe and that’s that.

      Thank you so much for replying to my story. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. It’s that time of year where we open our cookbooks once again and TRY to make Mom’s Christmas treats 🙂

      Love,
      Lola

      Reply
  5. Loretta Becherucci says

    December 17, 2014 at 2:32 pm

    Lola:

    Your story brought a tear to my eye. My memories of her baking were her
    pinwheels she made a Christmas time that had figs or raisins in them.
    Those were the days and we are grateful that we have such fond memories of our loved ones.

    A blessed Christmas to all.

    Love,

    Your cousin – Loretta

    Reply
    • Lola De Maci says

      December 17, 2014 at 3:06 pm

      Hi, Loretta,

      Yes, in addition to Mom’s cinnamon pinwheels, she made date-nut pinwheels that we still make today for Christmas. Andrea will make them this year; they’re already in the oven.

      I wish you and your family a Blessed Christmas. I am thankful for so many things in my life — and you are one of them.

      Love,
      Cousin Lola

      Reply
  6. Bob Covington says

    December 20, 2014 at 1:35 pm

    Dear Lola,

    I love your story and how you bring tender moments to life to savor and learn from. I thank God for you as a dear friend and representation of his profound goodness. Your story affirms that the best things in life are free, yet peerless and priceless. In reading your piece, alike moments came to mind that makes me appreciative of life and ancestral connectivity. Keep up your grand writing; wanting people need it.

    Bob

    Reply
  7. Lola De Maci says

    December 27, 2014 at 1:34 pm

    Dear Bob,

    Your words are always profound and beautiful. Thank you for responding to my story about my mom. In sharing our stories with dear friends, we can relive those moments in life that truly touch us and make us better persons.

    Merry Christmas!
    Love,
    Lola

    Reply
  8. MAureen 'cCabe says

    February 1, 2015 at 11:19 am

    Dear Lola,
    Such a beautiful story. I could almost smell the cinnamon. You have such a lovely, evocative style. I miss the old fashioned Italian cookies and bread my Nonnie used to make so much.
    Love,
    maureen

    Reply
    • Lola De Maci says

      February 8, 2015 at 1:24 pm

      Dear Maureen,

      Thank you for your lovely words. Yes, somehow we equate our past with delicious things to eat. Perhaps that has to do with our Italian heritage…or everything to do with it! (I am smiling.)

      Love, Lola

      Reply

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