Liz's Mom

I've gone to foreign. In other words, I've left Jamaica and am back home in Philadelphia. I'm back to being Ellen Solms and not "Liz's mom," as I am known in Treasure Beach. I think it's an honorable appellation.

Now that I'm home, I can truly appreciate how special was the gift of my month in Treasure Beach with Elizabeth and Giuliano. Imagine...I spent 30 straight days with my daughter and her husband. We ate dinner together every night. We traveled together. We chilled out on the beach or at their house. And I, at least, never tired of their company. I used to think how lucky I was to live in the same apartment building as my mom and dad--to visit was as easy as taking the elevator or running down the stairs of the fire tower. I took that proximity for granted, not realizing til now how special that was for both me and my mom.

Well, in Treasure Beach Liz and I could share our lives in the same way--being together was as easy as a walk down the beach and up the lane. I loved it because I got to be part of her daily life. But just as importantly, my time with Liz made me remember being a daughter to my mom and I could sense the joy she must have felt in having me close.