Kisses From Mom

A year ago I was celebrating what would be my last Mother’s Day with my wonderful Mom.  She was very weak and frail at that time. I was shocked at how she looked and that she had trouble moving around, so weak as she pridefully insisted everything was fine. I knew it wasn’t, but there was nothing to be done. She was stubborn, because what I didn’t know at the time, she did.

And now it is my first motherless Mother’s Day.  this weekend will be full of memories, love, laughter, tears, wine and water.  And she seems so far away now, as I make my way in this world world without my best friend. But then I saw something the other day…something I know is a kiss from her, my wonderful mother.

It is still early spring, even here in the south, or at least this far north here in the south (confused yet?).  As I was driving to work one morning, I saw it out of the corner of my eye.  A flower, a day lily, beautiful bright and yellow.  But it is far too early for day lilies, isn’t it?

Summer two years ago, Mom gave me bulbs to plant around my then house.  Day lilies, she said, though she didn’t know the color. She had ordered extra for me when she made her spring time order.  She told me when and how to plant them so that they would grow. Instructed me that they would need a lot of water, good sun and attention.

I planted them along the back where we would sit outside, talk and drink wine.  When I moved, I went back and dug all of them up, not willing to leave them behind. I put them in a bucket and planted them in a special spot in the yard at the new house.  And they withered away, brown little clumps of stems and eventually withered away completely during the winter.  Then slowly, I saw little green clumps of their leaves sticking out of the ground and my heart leaped…could they have survived?

And two days ago, I saw that they are high and tall, with so many buds on them already blooming.  And I know this is my mother sending me kisses from Heaven. Letting me know that she loves me, that she is close, that she is always near.  And on this Mother’s Day, I know she is with me. And I love her all the more.