A Mother’s Love
No matter how you slice it, Mom’s devotion is worth celebrating
Shari Finnell and her older brother, Darnae Scales, share a hug with their mother Helen Evette Scales.
Freshly baked cookies. A note of kindness. A perfectly timed telephone call. A warm embrace.
Though they can vary widely, just about everyone can easily recall some type of symbol or act that reminds him or her of a mother’s love.
In my family, that symbol – hands down – is my mother’s pound cake. This calorie-laden masterpiece is baked with a recipe passed down by generations of women in her family. That recipe has remained unchanged over the decades, meaning it still takes a whole lot of work – and butter and eggs – to make one.
There’s no question about it. The Pound Cake is to die for and, yes, deserving of capital letters.
All four of my mother’s children have a deep appreciation for this dessert. My younger brother, a devoted vegan who wouldn’t dare touch any type of food with a dairy substance, somehow makes concessions for The Pound Cake. No matter what diet I try to maintain, I set aside weeks of self-control if The Pound Cake is within eating distance. I’ll have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. As long as a crumb is left, I will indulge.
Though we’re all adults (at least a couple of us are approaching AARP status), my siblings and I can resort to acting like children when it comes to figuring out whom my mother had in mind when the dessert suddenly appears. In other words, whom does she love most?
For a while, my sister and I complained – only a bit tongue in cheek -that the cake most often appeared when one of our two brothers happened to be in town. Was this some type of sexist expression tied to the worth of sons? we wondered.
Even my 10-year-old son intuitively has grasped the meaning of The Pound Cake. Lately, he’s been asking for it specifically. When my mother delivers, he eats his slice in reverential awe.
I should be glad that he enjoys my mother’s cake as much as I do. Yet, a part of me feels I just got more competition for Mom’s affection. Another male, at that.
All kidding aside, with Mother’s Day upon us, it’s time to reflect on the many ways that our mothers – as well as other special women in our lives – have encouraged us, nurtured us and assured us, no matter our ages.
Their devotion definitely is cause for celebration.
Anyone interested in pound cake?
