A Stillmeadow Day

In celebration of Mother's Day today, I was invited by our pastor to speak for a few moments during the Sunday worship service. I chose to limit my own personal remarks and, instead, to read from Stillmeadow Sampler (J.B. Lippincott Company, 1959) by my late mom's favorite author, Gladys Taber.  Mom loved Mrs. Taber's words and so do I.  Her writing was gentle and delightful, capturing a bit of reminiscing and a bit of ordinary, everyday life.  Mom frequently lightly marked in pencil her favorite passages in Mrs. Taber's books.  While this particular passage wasn't so-marked, it spoke to me because it so reminded me of my mom and her own gentle, kind, soft-spoken, though lots of fun, spirit.  What I particularly enjoy about Stillmeadow Sampler is that it starts with spring, my favorite season.  It wasn't hard for me to find what I believe was just the right passage about May, Mrs. Taber's mother and how moms and daughters can be friends.  Although it has been two years since I was able to celebrate Mother's Day with my dear, late mom, I felt her gentle, lovely spirit as I read those words at church today, knowing that with her, every day was Mother's Day, and confident now she will forever be in my heart.

Happy Mother's Day

It is my first Mother's Day since my mom passed away and today, my mind goes to roses.  Mom didn't care for fancy, cultivated roses.  Rather, she loved the old-fashioned shrub roses that she and Dad had transplanted from his mother's yard into ours some 60 years ago.  Each summer, Mom snipped roses from the shrub, watching out for the tiny thorns as she did so, and placed them in delicate vases and pitchers throughout our home.  The light pink roses had a wonderfully spicy scent.  Mom also gathered petals from the roses and made her own potpourri.  I have a lovely color photo taken in the 1950s of my Dad with his arm around his mom, my grandma Josie, standing in front of the transplanted rose bush.  It was blooming and thriving against the verdant backdrop of the Baraboo Hills. According to a magazine article I read recently, the International Herb Association has named the rose its 2012 herb of the year, recognizing it for its medicinal, culinary and decorative properties.  On this Mother's Day, I celebrate the rose and, in particular, the rose bush of Grandma Josie's that brought my beautiful, wonderful mom such joy.