Alyice on April 27th, 2010

Celebrate Mother’s Day

Though my mother passed away a few years ago, I chose to celebrate Mother’s Day this year by picking a few “mothers” I know and creating a couple of flower pots, complete with fake flowers, to give as gifts.

It’s my way of honoring my mother’s memory. My mother loved plants and flowers. She loved nurturing seedlings, she enjoyed pruning mature plants, and she never missed an opportunity to show off her collection to guests.

My mother also loved receiving bouquets from gentleman callers. Whether it was a dozen long stem red roses, or a planter full of carnations, her face would light up with excitement and pure joy upon receiving such a gift.

I, on the other hand, never really cared to have someone spend so much money on a bouquet of flowers only to have them die on me. Instead, I preferred to spend an evening dining and chatting at a local restaurant or fast food joint. And if I really had my way, I’d opt for a fun event like a local dinner theatre, a college play, carnival rides, or some other low cost form of entertainment.

So for years, I boycotted sending anyone flowers, even my mom.

But about five years before my mom passed away, it dawned on me that I was being selfish. It didn’t matter that I didn’t like receiving cut flowers, or that I thought they were a waste of money, my mom loved receiving flowers and she didn’t consider a bouquet a waste of money.

That’s when, upon a strong recommendation from my sister-in-law, Teri, I browsed ProFlowers.com, picked out what I thought were my mom’s favorite flowers and had them delivered.

Upon receiving the flowers, my mom cried tears of joy. Then she called me. Those flowers meant more to her than any other gesture I could’ve made. What made them even more special was that I actually knew her favorite flower.

Today, I wish I could send my mother a bouquet of flowers. Today, I wish I could hear the joy in her voice when she called to say “thank you”. Instead, I’ll have to settle for the next best thing: memories.

If your mother is still alive, I encourage you to think of the one thing that brings her pleasure, then make it happen. It could be something as simple as hanging out with you for a day at the local atrium, enjoying some of your homemade lasagna, or checking off one more item on her collectibles list.

I promise you that it will be a memory you cherish long after she’s passed away. A memory that makes your heart smile, even in the midst of bittersweet holidays like, Mother’s Day.

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Comments (2)

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Jenny Barnett Rohrs says:
Thanks so much for sharing your story. I have bitter-sweet feelings myself when it comes to Mother’s Day, and it’s so nice to hear someone else’s side, too.
Now I need a tissue!
Posted at 10:25 am April 28th, 2010
Alyice says:
Oh Jenny, hugs to you!
Posted at 11:21 am April 28th, 2010

AlyiceEdrich.com
I'm a freelance writer, mixed media artist, SMVA, and the owner of The Dabbling Mum.

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