Mommy

I chose "Sweet Water" as the name of my blog after an early spring day spent with my mother at a local maple syrup festival. Sweet Water is the name the Native Americans gave to the sweet sap they discovered flowing through the maple trees that were (and are) so abundant in the area. A mythology was developed around the maple tree and the process of sugaring to create maple syrup, the sweet water itself was thought to be a gift from the Great Spirit, the lifeblood of the tree, sent to sustain the lifeblood of the people through long northern winters.

At the time the name held for me the beauty found in nature and life in its simplest form. It's something I strive to slow down and enjoy every day.

Today the name means more to me than I could have guessed at the time.

My mother passed away on July 15th.

That day at the festival was one of our last as mother and daughter and even better as best friends out enjoying time alone together. I am still in shock over passing as it was so sudden and without warning but I am also finding myself focusing on the strength of our relationship and the beauty of every moment of our lives spent together. Sweet Water.

My mother knew the secret of Sweet Water, she was so attuned to the important things in life, family, friends, nature, love, simplicity.

I knew this blog would be about my life somehow...but I never expected life to be what it is at this moment. I have next to no idea where I'm going from this point, my whole world is upside down and every plan I had made is being re-worked as I write. I've got no choice but to keep moving.

So, here goes...