Saying good bye to my first cheer leader

Mom in her handknit sweater from Aunt Jean

Tomorrow, we will say a final good-bye to my mom. She died last Thursday (October 6) after a long illness.
Mom was my first cheer leader when I started sewing, creating, and otherwise making a mess of the house.
She drew the line at glitter, but everything else was allowed while I learned to express myself through creative pursuits.
She used to take me to Towers -- a long dead Ontario-based department store -- to explore their extensive haberdashery offerings.
Within reason, I could chose whatever I needed for my next project. Embroidery threads, hoops, transfers, needles, fabrics for the clothes I learned to make on my Grandmother's Singer 501 -- these things she bought for me. In retrospect, she was likely grateful that I was staying at home and sewing stuff and not riding around in cars with boys.
I'm grateful for her friendship, her constant support, and her love.
She was a great woman who loved to knit, bake bread and clean the house within a inch of its life. Mom believed that hands occupied in the creation of things find contentment and joy in simple things.
I hope that she has found contentment and joy. Although we miss her, we were blessed to have her for  mom. We'll always have that.