It’s getting close to Memorial Day, the unofficial start of Summer, which means that me and my S.O. James will empty my car trunk of Winter gear and re-pack with the good stuff–Summer items like portable beach chairs, beach umbrellas, beach bags with sunblock, towels, beach blankets, etc. We keep my car trunk filled up (not his as it is chock full of golf gear) like this all Summer long as you never know in New England when a beach day will appear. We both love the beach and look forward to laying out on our 
beach chairs with my cooler filled with ice cold water, adult beverages and snacks and sneak dips in the ocean when the heat gets to be too much. We are truly ‘Chocolate on the Beach’ as we are blessed with skin tones that are ‘Hershey bar’ chocolate, especially in contrast to the bright sunlight of the beach. For as long as I can remember I have been a fan of the beach. I grew up in a small town on the shoreline of Connecticut where we had 5 beaches, so it was natural and a beautiful thing to spend as much time as possible at the beach.
Plus my mother loved the beach when she was alive and made it a point to pick up her beach pass at the town hall in Groton the start of every Summer. So one of the ways me and my siblings honored her when she passed almost 6 years ago was to have the bench she so often sat on at Eastern Point, her favorite beach in Groton, named after her.
I think of her often but especially today as it is, after all, Mother’s Day…a day when I am reminded of her goodness. I was one of seven children and although I came from a large family, my mother had this special and unique way of making me feel as much love from her as if I were her only child. And we all felt that powerful love. I consider this one of the many gifts that God blessed her with and completely understand why she was nicknamed ‘Care Bear’ at her church, Walls Temple AME Zion in New London, CT.
So Happy Mother’s Day to all and a special Happy Mother’s Day to my mother Jean in Heaven.
