From JuJu with Love

This morning I woke up with one of those sweet memories that comes out of nowhere.

Back-to-school shopping with my mom.

What made it special wasn’t just the new clothes or shoes. It was that my mom made sure each of us girls got our own day with her.

Not all together.

Not rushed.

Just one-on-one.

On your day, you got Mom all to yourself. We’d head to the mall, and I remember feeling so grown up walking next to her, carrying shopping bags filled with new sweaters, jeans, and the all-important first-day-of-school outfit.

Most of the time we went to Northland, where Hudson’s was the big department store. But if it was a really special year, we’d go to Saks Fifth Avenue at Somerset instead. That felt fancy. Like a big deal.

And the best part?

Lunch.

Sometimes it was the Hudson’s Café for their famous Maurice Salad. Other times, at Somerset, we’d eat at the open-air restaurant in the middle of the mall, watching shoppers go by while we sat there together.

Just the two of us.

I remember feeling like one of those “ladies who lunch.” No sisters. No distractions. Just me and my mom, talking about school, friends, and whatever else was on my mind while we planned outfits and carried bags from store to store.

At the time, it probably just felt like a fun shopping day.

Now I realize what a gift it was.

Three daughters, busy schedules, and she still made sure each of us felt individually seen and special.

I think about that now when I try to show up for the people I love. Sometimes what matters most isn’t the big trip or the big event.

Sometimes the memories that stay with us aren’t the grand occasions at all. They’re the ordinary traditions that made us feel loved. 

Sometimes it’s just carving out a little one-on-one time to say:

You matter. I see you.

And every fall, when the back-to-school ads start popping up, I still think of those days.

Just me and Mom.

Shopping bags in hand.

Ladies who lunch.

From Juju with love 💙