When the air feels crisp and a gentle wind lifts the colorful leaves from their branches before they swiftly swirl to the ground, my heart swells with memories of the women in my life who made the holidays special.
Their tender voices and the smell of my favorite dishes they’d prepare resonate through my mind. For a moment, with my eyes closed, those memories feel like the present.
The crunch of plastic protecting the carpet below our feet that is only a trend when reminiscing of past times. The steam from the freshly drained elbow noodles that will soon be swimming with milk, hand shredded cheese and ritz crackers. Learning which piece of silverware goes where while getting gentle direction from my grandmother. The sound of prayer, giving thanks as we sit around the table; kids at the kids table, one person in a mis-matched chair at the adult table. Worries absent for a just a single perfect moment before we dig into sweet potato casserole and no bake blueberry pie that we save just for this day.
These memories mean more now as a mom of three. As I direct my gaze over at the kids table, I smile, giving thanks for the past memories, present memories, and memories to come.
Pass the turkey, please.

Amanda Riggs is a wife, mom to three, follower of Christ, business owner, VOL fan, lover of all the food and being outdoors. Writing has been a passion of hers since grade school but it hasn’t been until recently that she found her creative soul knocking to come out and play again.