After my Dad passed away and Nana and Auntie had also, the Easter Holiday became a non event. My brother spent the holiday with his wife's family and my sister lived out of state. My young daughter spent the day with her father and his family. That left Mom and I.
Realizing that it would be the two of us I wanted to spend the day as a day of renewal. So on the day before Easter I went to the local garden center and bought some Easter lilies, Daffodils and Hyacinths and mulch.
On Easter Sunday Mom and I would plant them. We would freshen up the gardens, spruce up whatever needed sprucing up. A hopeful, beautiful start to the year. Reminising about those who had passed. A chance to slow down and just talk. Just the two of us.
In the following years we could see the fruits of our labors as the gardens bloomed in shades of yellows and pinks, reds, orange, green, lavender and white.
Tulips and Crocus, Lilies and Daffodils. The fragrance of the Hyacinths on the breeze saying "Spring". People driving by the house and taking pictures. Spring the season of renewal.
Mom has passed to be with Dad and our ancestors, I'm now on the other side of the country, far from "home". The house of the gardens a memory. But every Easter I remember the planting, the talking, and the exclamation "Oh Honey it's beautiful ! ". It was. She was. Happy Easter Mom.
A lovely Easter tribute to your Mom, Cheri! Spring is the season of renewal and nothing reminds us of that any more than a beautiful flower garden- life passes, but is renewed in its season. Thanks for sharing your story.
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words. Yes, the gardens were incredible and so was Mom. She was beautiful, loving, funny, a wonderful role model, fabulous Nana and my hero. To be half the woman she was would make me a happy woman.