Flowers for Mother's Day

My daughters were in high school. As happens to mothers and daughters during that time in life, they were both irritated with me about something. However, when the teens at our church distributed roses to their mothers, they both made a beeline for me. All these years later, when I think they might be irritated, I like to remember that year.

By now, I don't think irritated would be a word in their vocabulary.  They have pretty much settled into adulthood, and their children are all older than they were on that Mother's Day.  I'm no longer a reason for them to be irritated. Well maybe just a little.

Becca usually gives me smell-good pampering items.

Renee sends me a plant or a floral arrangement.

I was surprised this year when I opened a box from Renee. 

I read the directions before I sent her a text that said, "This is going to be a fun exercise".

She didn't understand until I sent her this photo with these explanations:  They are tulip bulbs. The wood chips are there to protect the product when it is being shipped.

When I told my Master Gardener friend about the gifts, she had a word of warning.  "Tulips explode".  I responded, "You mean there will be a lot of them?:

"No," she said, "They will 'poof' explode".

So I put the container filled with tulip bulbs in my front yard, and this is how they looked one week after planting. It has been fun to watch, water, and turn the plants a few degrees each day to align with the sun.

And of course, there's a lesson.

There have been a time or two when I felt everything was ugly and I was even a bit useless. When I didn't think there was going to be any fun doing anything, and I was probably just waiting for "poof—EXPLODE."

But just like Becca and Renee got through being irritated with their mother - and wanted to be sure I had a rose that Mother's Day, while life may sometimes feel like the ugly tulip bulbs that arrived this year, in time, everything becomes beautiful.

58 years ago this Spring, I decided I should not marry Ray Parker, even though he was going to be a preacher. In my heart, I knew that was what God was calling me to be.

I went to church one Sunday morning, and there was a picture of a little girl an umbrella in her hand and some flowers in the other. The scripture said something like, "If you do what God wants you to do, he will give you rain in due season."

I determined my best move was to marry, and we did that summer. There were some ugly times, but the children that came from that marriage have been as lovely to me as the pretty tulips that Renee sent me for Mother's Day.

They are a constant reminder of God's blessings for me -- no matter what might be happening.

PS Tray also gives nice presents: These flowers don't need watering or sunlight and will not fade.

 May you have enough sunshine in your life. . . .  

. . .  to make you appreciate the shadows