Thinking of You

It’s funny the things that get passed down from generation to generation. Every time someone in my presence starts rubbing their nose or comments that their nose is “itchy,” I always tease, “Someone must be thinking about you…” I know it’s a silly superstition, but it’s something my Mom always said to us growing up and now it’s something I say to my kids — they even say it back to me! The phrase has been getting a lot of use lately as this allergy season seems to be longer and stronger than in past years. My entire household is currently plagued by red eyes, stuffy ears, scratchy throats and those itchy noses — giving us plenty of opportunities to tease one another with that silly superstition. You would think it would get old or annoying, but instead the saying just makes me smile and gives me yet another opportunity to think about my Mom and wonder if maybe she’s thinking about us, too.

Empty Chairs, Everywhere is a personal grief diary as I process the loss of my Mother to COVID-19.