So we took our annual trip to Las Vegas, the hubs and I, and as always we had a magical time together. Las Vegas is our place. Friends tease that we are "Mr. and Mrs. Vegas", and our kids know the song, "Viva Las Vegas" and are shocked when other children are not familiar with this tune. This also was the place my parents would escape to often together. Their mini love trips, as I call them. I remember as a child saying good-bye to their weekend away and getting a shirt back from the Mirage or The Flamingo hotel. And for my honeymoon, my dad did book us the Bellagio as a gift. Yes, we even honeymooned there! Vegas is a part of our lives, somewhere the kids will one day visit too and associate with their parents. But on this last trip, while putting on my make up for a fun night out, I noticed a gold lipstick, plum was the color by Loreal, in the bottom of my travel case. I picked it up, not recognizing this color or lipstick. When I opened it I automatically knew whose it was. The shape of the lipstick was instantaneously recognizable and could only belong to one person, my mother. She hasn't worn lipstick in years and somehow this gold case ended up in my travel bag, in Vegas. This was probably left behind at my house when she used to watch the kids. I was overtaken by emotions in the marble bathroom. I put the plum shade of lipstick on my lips, the shape cradling my lips as if it was back with its original owner. The shade didn't match very well, but I had to bring Stella out with me in her favorite city. A part of her was back where she used to laugh and love with my dad. A time when she captured life with her energy and spunk for life. I could only imagine her and my dad enjoying one another and their love in this crazy city where life is always one big party.
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