Sunday, May 13, 2018

Good Things Happened: Mothering, legacy and memories

 I went visiting this weekend, to see my beloved family in northern Florida.  And then my sister and I went to visit our aunt, cousin and his wife in Jacksonville on Saturday, where we also got to see a new second cousin - just five months old.  It was lovely to see his first time mom in action - so loving and happy.  This is the view of the St. John's river from my aunt's balcony - I would be out there all the time, I said.

 Neighbor Rhonda brought these peony bushes from her late mother's home in Mount Holly, North Carolina.  This is the first time they have bloomed since then.  A lovely legacy!

And this vase always makes me smile a little.  About 20 years ago, I was helping my late mom get ready for a gathering at her home, and asked if I should pick some irises from her garden for the table.  As it turned out, she didn't have a vase.  This seemed odd to me, but she just didn't.  So I gifted her this one for Mother's Day that year.  She did not seem as excited as I was about it.  And then the next time I visited, I found that she had put some Spanish moss in the bottom of it and filled it with silk flowers.  Sigh.  So it's mine now and I use it all the time - this time with purchased irises.  This might not seem so much like a "Good Things" story, but it is, because I learned from it to choose gifts that I know the recipient really wants and to remember that flowers are often best enjoyed just where they grow.

I hope everyone had a lovely day today, whether you are a mom or not.  You are special to me!