Banana Split Cherries, Roller Coasters, and Mother's Day

The American Eagle at 6 Flags Gurnee IL

Banana split cherries make me think of roller coasters and Mother's Day.
My grand kids know that when they ask for the cherry on my banana split, I won't say no.
My older grand kids know that if they ask their grampy to ride with them on a roller coaster, he will always go. Even if the roller coaster is one invented out of an engineer's adrenaline induced nightmare.
I do that because that's what my mom did with me and my daughter.
I have a memory of my mother, my self, and my 6 year old daughter Rebecca on the newly constructed 6 Flags American Eagle, at that time the world's highest roller coaster. It also boasted the world's steepest and longest drop and fastest speed for any coaster, a record it held for 7 years. It is still the highest, steepest drop, and fastest wooden racing coaster.
I remember the grim look on my 60 year old mother's face. I thought she was terrified. I found out later that she was clamping her jaws shut to avoid losing her false teeth. She said she enjoyed the ride. If she ever had any fear, her British heritage never would allow her to admit it.
The next day I ended up in the emergency room, thinking I had a heart attack. Turns out that being thrown around in the coaster had bruised my chest.
A generation later, I'm in a coaster with my daughter and her daughter Allie for her first big girl coaster ride on the Demon. She was tall enough (barely) to pass the height requirement.
The worst part is always the first long, slow climb of regrets. Allie was crying her heart out, saying she wanted off. Down the first hill she was laughing while she was crying. At the end of the ride she was begging to do it again.
Some time in the future it will be Rebecca's turn to sit next to her daughter and grand daughter. My mother will look down from heaven.. and smile.

The Demon