My mother’s presence is always with me.
When I work my needle on a needlework piece, she is there guiding me through the various stitches she taught me for my first embroidery piece, answering questions and demonstrating how to do each stitch. My mother’s embroidery lessons opened the world of needlework for me – crewel, needlepoint, and cross stitch. When I stitch a French knot, my mother is there.
When I work my knitting needles, she is there trying her hardest to teach me to crochet. I wanted to be like her and create beautiful, crocheted doilies, but I could never get the hang of it. I was intrigued by the process of turning thread into something else. Mom’s crochet lessons helped open the world of knitting, turning yarn into something beautiful. When I finished my first knitted sweater, my mother was there.
When I am sewing quilt blocks together, she is there showing me how to work a sewing machine and how to read a pattern. Mom’s sewing lessons gave me the basics for making clothing for my daughter and for myself, and led me to the world of quilting and sewing home décor. When I finish a quilt, my mother is there.
When I think about trying a new craft, she is there encouraging me to try something new. She always pushed herself to try the next thing, leading her to oil painting and wood carving. Her willingness to try new things led me to try spinning and weaving. When I finished my first complex woven shawl, my mother was there.
When I find a new recipe or cooking technique, she is there setting an example for me. I don’t think that many Mexican-American families had Egg Foo Young, Chicken Cacciatore, or Caesar Salad in their repertoire in the 1960s, but we did. Her love of cooking, baking, and trying new recipes led me to Chinese cooking, baking cookies and biscotti, and Martha Stewart’s recipes. When I catered my own wedding, my mother was there lending a hand.
When I pass by a mirror, I see her face looking back at me. I have to look twice because my mind doesn’t believe what I see. My mother is there, in me.