So there we were with a couple of bashful vergers posted with their baskets full of lovely handmade nosegays meant to recognize mothers, whether present among us or not. This is the pretty little presentation the Bishop's wife kindly took out and handed to me to honor my two mothers and their mothers, too, as well I would.
If you have any affiliation with things or persons British, you likely know that today is Mothering Sunday. As the Bishop informed the attendees this morning at the Anglican parish where my husband choir-conducts, it matters not that there is an American counterpart holiday–by the time that President Woodrow Wilson got around to declaring such a thing official in 1914, this congregation had already been celebrating Mothering Sunday for a good 35 years thanks to its British roots, and Texas-located or not, they sure as shootin’ weren’t going to stop recognizing mothers on this official day right along with the president’s little add-on festivity.
Anglophilic as I am, I’m hardly one to balk at keeping the faith with the old holiday myself, whether for stubbornness’ sake or for tradition, or for the beautiful British-ness of it all–though it originated as a Christian holiday, surprisingly, falling on the Sunday when one of the traditional texts began with a paean to Jerusalem, the ‘mother of us all’. But better than that, I happen to think that there are excellent reasons for celebrating mothers and motherhood as often and as publicly and resolutely as possible–two supremely excellent reasons to begin with: Elisabeth, who gave birth to me, and Joyce, who gave birth to my husband. I have two of the best mothers in the whole wide world. You can look it up; in any sensible encyclopedia or dictionary it will have a picture of the two of them in the entry explicating the heart and soul of the concept known as ‘Mom‘.
You could be forgiven if you thought from the accompanying photos of them that they had their work cut out for them with these two little melancholy looking shrimps of theirs but I assure you we, and our respective siblings, were all a supernal joy to raise from first to last. Okay, that part is pure baloney and bilge-water–but the point of course is how outstanding our moms were at mothering, and that part is utterly true. We were and are two incredibly fortunate humans, and we know it. No amount of roses and posies could possibly reflect the full spectrum of gifts that Joyce and Elisabeth have brought to both of our lives. But a sweet little nosegay with a brilliant deep pink rose is hardly amiss in the attempt.
I made my own little corsage, of course, as a drawing of exotic (i.e., nonexistent inventions representing) flowers, because mere effusions in prose can never say how deeply grateful I am to have two such dear and devoted mothers to love. I am particularly and acutely aware of this when both, who have had their own adventures of survival and not just in spouse-training and child-raising over the years, are currently recovering from surgeries. Nothing like having one’s mom undergo surgery, especially as both are doing, surgeries that are not their first, to remind us of how fragile life and wholeness can be and how desperately we hope for our chance of having them back ‘better than new’ and with long and healthy and happy years ahead of them. The signs are good, despite the inevitable miseries of recovering bit by bit, with the expected setbacks, that our hopes will be fulfilled. The only medicine I can offer is love, and that I do send them in unspeakable abundance, but since my mother had spinal surgery I’m pretty sure a big hug is not the most desired form of cure even if I were 2000 miles closer to her, and since my other mom is probably still bandaged up here and there a bit herself, the same 2000 miles nearer-my-mom-to-thee might just prove a little too abrasive as well. So from this safe distance I send e-hugs, ethereal kisses and two-dimensional bouquets and eagerly hope to see both of our mothers springing with good health in June.
I wish and hope that both of our beloved mothers will last even longer than a little drawing of a bouquet can before it fades like live flowers.
If you are a mother yourself–biologically or by adoption–or act as a nurturer and sheltering presence for anyone, I wish you endless bouquets as well. Without all of you, none of us would be here. Literally, of course. But in the wider sense, we owe an immense debt to the caregiving and protective and human-betterment instincts so often attributed to mothers and grandmothers and godmothers and aunts, and rightly so, but also gracefully and beautifully practiced by teachers and community builders and cooks and nurses and companions and shelter-builders of every age and nature who have the desire to make the world better for those who might not be able to make it sufficiently so for themselves. Thank you. Especially you, Elisabeth and Joyce. You are treasures beyond invention. I can think of no higher aspiration than that others should take their example from you.
Art-Colored Glasses 
A beautiful letter to your mums kathryn, and I’ll wish them and all the other mum’s a happy mother’s day too
Long may they reign! 🙂
how hard it must be to be so far away from your mother. And shamefully i have to admit that i did not know that mothers day had such old beginnings. how lovely for you to have two mothers too.. you are very lucky and so are they .. have a great day mothering day.. c
I think this Sunday was a pretty terrible day for my own mama, in the recovery scheme of things, and the best I know of the day is that it was an opportunity for my sisters out west to mother their own mother a bit in return for all of her care of us. But yesterday was a bit better, and I’m hoping that today is better than that, and so on. Of course, Mom hasn’t you and TonTon coming by to look after her as you do for your vintage gent in rehab, though one sister’s Siberian Husky Tristan does come by for occasional visits with Mom, so I hope the therapeutic effect will hold true there too. 🙂
I totally agree; my mother has been there for me – during all my skin and emotional issues – and taught me to overcome these obstacles:)) Great post and I look forward to sharing more with you:))
Thank you, my friend–there’s nothing quite like having a stalwart mother! 🙂 Glad you could come by here.
Truly, truly beautiful sentiments, dear Kathryn Ingrid…you are indeed are a beautiful soul! Let us all remember to be ever thankful to our Mamas for the gift of life and nurturing! Blessings to both of your Mamas…lots of healing and love. Cheers, Gracie 🙂 ❤
And I happen to know that it took some outstanding motherly genetics to create my grace-filled Graciela, too!
Love!!
Kathryn
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We just called his mom a bit ago to wish her happy Mothering Sunday. She asked us how did we know and I had to confess I did not know it until I happened upon it online. She appreciated it anyway. But I will never admit to my English father in law that he was right about Mothering Sunday being about longer than Mother’s Day here.
We all get our insights in small doses and here-and-there, don’t we! So you can enjoy the bonus of having learned as I did about Mothering Sunday, and you can enjoy hanging onto the little secret about your FIL being right, at least until the right moment for revelation, should it arrive. 🙂
What a precious gift of comfort this post must be today. How proud both your parents must be of the two of you and the beauty you’ve brought into the world. I love your flower photos.. as you knew I would… and the thought of both your mom’s suffering.. well, I’ll send out a prayer for both of them tonight:) xoxoxo Smidge
Sunday was actually one of the *really* rocky post-surgical days for my mama. But I know that your particular prayer did a world of good for her, because yesterday she specifically wanted me to know that now she was a Smidge better! 😉
So I thank you extra for that! 😀
xoxo!
Kathryn
She really said that?? Wow.. kind of gives me shivers:) In a good way!
I didn’t know about Mothering Sunday, Kathryn, but this is such a beautiful post and tribute to your “mums.” My Mom passed away last month and everyday, she’s in our memories and hearts~xo
Your mom raised such a beautiful daughter in you, Lauren. What a gift that is to all of us! So I give thanks for her as well, on Mothering Sunday and any other day.
Love,
Kathryn
What a loving tribute, Kathryn, to these 2 wonderful Mums of yours! I’m certain that each has equally kind & loving things to say about their daughter. 🙂
Of course they’re both always saying incredibly (perhaps literally so, but I won’t argue) sweet things both to and about me–one of the many things I love about them both! They are beyond special, both of them. 🙂
A speedy recovery to both the beautiful mothers.
Thank you, dear sir, thank you.
Lucky you (both) for having such wonderful examples in your lives; lucky Moms, for having children who appreciate them!
Health, happiness, and HappyMothering Sunday to all of you!
Thank you, sweet Marie, and a double dose of Motherly blessings to you for mothering your own children and now Angel so devotedly and gracefully! You are a paragon among women–the one who can and will mother ‘above and beyond’, and that is a gift shared by the whole world at your hands.
I can empathize. My mother had back surgery on March 5 to implant an electrical stimulator to block chronic back pain and I was the one to stay with her for five days while she recuperated (and as I was visiting my father in the nursing home the same week since she was unable to). So, it’s not easy.
Oh, how I hope your mother will get outstanding relief–and in turn, that all of you who love and care for her will find some respite from the struggles and trials too. Peace and healing, Dennis!
I bet your moms are beaming because of these lovely words and sentiments. How wonderful that you still have both of them here with you.
I am humbled by my immense good fortune in having both a birth family and a married one that are full of wonderful–and yes, *living* people!!
It sounds to me that they are blessed to have you too….!
I’m learning, over the years, that blessings are reciprocal, contagious, communal and can easily ‘go viral’ if we really let them. 🙂
Agreed
What a beautiful bouquet of love in words and pictures in tribute to your moms, Kathryn! Wishing for healing and long life to them both.
Thank you, my sweet!
Beautifully said. And now another surgery…
Sigh. Let us *hope* that this time is THE time, at last. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done and *been* for Mom and Dad throughout all of this. My love to you, and big giant hugs!
xoxoxo
K Ingrid