Happy Mother’s Day!

Flowers have dominated this Mother’s Day. It has been beautiful: warmth, bright sunshine, and masses of gorgeous flowers in bloom. Even so, for me it has been an emotional roller-coaster

First: Roses

My son sent me a WeChat message during the night.

We got back from a three week long visit to him a week ago today. It has been a busy week. One of those weeks which go by very quickly, yet so much happens that you barely remember it. Maybe some of that is jet lag. But for me, at least this time, some is emotional lag.

It is always hard to say goodbye not knowing when you will see your loved ones again. The political situation, both in China and between China and the US is becoming, more tense, and the rules are always changing. Mothers do worry. Even when our offspring are no longer cute little boys but grown, responsible men. It’s not about being controlling or not letting go, it’s about caring.

Second: Poppies

As I walked the dogs, sans camera because we were supposed to be hurrying to get off for Mother’s Day lunch and tea with Grandma. As I mentioned earlier the day itself has been gorgeous and usually on such a day the dogs and I would dawdle dreadfully, maybe spending over an hour to go a couple of miles between their sniffing and my taking pictures. The dogs still sniffed but I shortened the walk and left my camera at home. However, as we got back into my yard the poppies were just catching morning sun filtering through the leaves on the maple tree.

Third: Another Rose

The Mount, where Grandma lives decorated the dining room in a classy way, with dark blue table cloths and dark red roses. I almost burst into tears. On Monday we had had to put my father’s dog to sleep. I called Sam my half-sister because we had different mothers. I loved her dearly, we spent many happy hours together walking on the beach and in the woods during her not quite 13 years on Earth.

The rose against the dark blue cloth hit me hard: the veterinarian’s office had laid out a dark blue blanket with a red rose for Sam on Monday, My beautiful, lively Sam was skin and bones and unable to stand on her own anymore. Damn, I’m crying again.

Fourth: an abundance of May flowers

Because of the warm weather we were able to take a walk outside and enjoy the May flowers:

Fifth: tea cup flowers

The Mother’s Day tea featured fancy teacups of different designs and luscious, goodies, both sweet and savory, as bright as flowers as carefully arranged on the plates as a bouquet… But they also had those red roses and the dark blue table cloths.

Sixth, and last: tomorrows roses

Because of the warm weather sometime during the day the first two roses in my back yard decided to bloom. I found them as the pups and I returned from our afternoon stroll…thank goodness they aren’t red. I think it’s going to be a while until red roses don’t make me teary-eyed.