5/10/11 - The Story of the Easter Lillies

I received a message today from my niece, who lives in Utah, about the picture of my mother that I had on facebook for Mother's Day week. My mother was a BIG gardener - always working in her yard. (I, on the other hand, did not get ANY of those genes).

This is what she wrote:

"I just got on and saw the picture of Grandma. I miss her too...I miss her everyday. When she passed away I came home and missed her so much that I bought a little yellow tea rose plant that was in bloom from the store. Roses always make me think of her. Last year in November we got a huge snow storm. It snowed the day before the anniversary of Grandma's death. I'm always sad on those anniversary dates because I miss her so much. So I was thinking of her on the 18th, walked outside, and on that little tea rose bush was a little yellow rose bud starting to open...in the middle of the snow! I took a picture. I'll have to email it to you. She is with us, even though we can't hug her, hear her laugh, or sit and visit with her." 

Thanks for that little story, Paula. I know she is here, too. If she were here in the flesh, she would be my biggest support as I go through all this, but since she isn't, Sara has kind of taken on that roll. Here's my story about that:

Years ago on Easter, my mother brought me an Easter lily (she was from the old school, that if you went to someone's house for a holiday, you took a gift). I planted it in the middle of my front flower bed. I am NOT a gardener, like she was, don't like it, don't care to be in the dirt :) -  so I don't take care of anything in the beds, yard, etc. If it grows, it grows - if not - oh, well. But that little lily grew every spring & bloomed (with certainly no help from me - no water, no fertilizer). This year it didn't come up...nothing. I was very sad, since this was a sign of her each Spring. Of course, I don't know how long lilies are suppose to stay alive, this one was probably 10 years old at least, so it had probably run it's life course.

But on Easter, here came Sara with a lily. She had purchased them from her church to have at the front for Easter. One in honor of me & one in memory of Mother (she kept that one).

So, even though Mother's lily was gone, Sara took up the tradition (not knowing that mine had died) and now I have that lily back again to bloom in the same place each year. So I can continue to see Mother through Sara. Very nice. I will not be sad now, next Spring, when I see that blank space in my flower bed...it will be filled with a new lily.

She is still with us, taking care of everybody, even from Heaven.



                                                                      Sara's Lily

This is my mother Willie Edith Evett Smith - probably taken in the 70's. They were having an "Old Fashion/Prairie" day at church & she made this dress & bonnet to wear. This was my mother in a nutshell - made her own clothes & ALWAYS had her dogs around her. She was a very special lady & I miss her more than I can say.