One of my favorite memories from second grade was when my mom volunteered in my classroom. But it wasn’t just her being there that made the day so special–it was because she brought our little white dog with her. I remember she hid the dog under the table while we were all working, and whenever I’d look over, I’d catch a glimpse of her wagging her tail. It was such a small thing, but it was exactly the kind of surprise that made my day. 

Growing up, my mom always said, “There’s no place like home,” and I never really understood the full meaning of that phrase until much later in life. As a kid, I just thought of home as, well, home–where I lived, where I slept, and where I did my homework. But my mom created something much more than that. She made our house a safe haven, a place filled with warmth, love, and security. No matter how chaotic or stressful school life could get, I always knew I had a cozy, welcoming place to come back to at the end of the day.

Growing up, Christmas at the tree lot wasn’t just about picking the perfect tree. It was a full-blown adventure, and my sister and I were always at the center of it. Every year, we’d run through the trees, weaving in and out of the rows like our lives depended on it. My dad would count to ten, giving us a head start, and then we’d take off, dodging low branches and trying to blend in with the camouflage jackets we’d sometimes wear. As we got older, and a little bigger, the game got more difficult–and let’s be honest, less graceful–but that didn’t stop us. It became a tradition, no matter how ridiculous it looked.

One of my favorite memories with my mom is when my sister, my mom, and I would all dance around the house while our player-piano played. The music would fill the room all the way to our high ceilings and she’d always say, “Dance like no one’s watching.” It didn’t matter if we had rhythm or not–we’d just spin around, laugh and enjoy the moment. There was something special about those little dance sessions, where the goal wasn’t to look good or follow any rules, we just had fun and we were together.