The 1st of December has always been a special day for us, since it was my mother's birthday. She would have become 58 years today if she would still be with us. She passed away four and a half years ago. I miss her a lot and think of her very often, but at days like these a bit more than on other days. I am not very religious so I do not really believe in a place like heaven, but still... would she be somewhere where she could still follow our lives? I am sure she would be proud of us and happy that we are doing well.

What better way to remember her by than celebrating 'Sinterklaas'? It was her favourite day of the year. She always made it special with lots of poems, games, and 'surprises' (this untranslatable Dutch habit to pack presents in something creative, referring to a person's experiences or characteristics) . So this year we will celebrate the birthday of 'Sinterklaas' a few days earlier than his actual birthday. And my mother wil somehow be there too, at least she will be on our minds and we will remember how she managed to made this typical Dutch event into something special.