It’s said that if life hands you lemons, you should make lemonade. That’s a charmingly cheery, sunshiny idea, and one that seems plenty valuable to me, if perhaps occasionally a bit difficult to realize. Even life’s complications can have complications.
That’s why your best bet is to have the finest lemonade-makers handily available to you throughout your life.
I’ve always done well in this department. I was, in fact, born to one of the premier practitioners of both literal and figurative lemonade artistry. Having just chatted with her on this, her birthday, I can confirm that she is still as gifted at it as she is a gift. Mom, whatever the lemon crop at hand, makes the finest sunshiny lemonade out of it. The day may be rainy, as it has been up there today, but I could sense the warmth and light as soon as I heard her voice. It’s a grand thing to feel as though I’ve just sipped that most summery citrus drink when I hear my mother’s voice. It makes me glad that she is having an appropriate day of good cheer and pleasantness for celebrating her birthday. And it makes me glad that I have the blessed privilege of having a mom who retains her skills for day-brightening as the birthdays pass. Who knows but what I might master the recipe for lemonade myself, if I stick by her side and learn from the best.
Happy birthday, Mom! May there be many more, each filled with the most refreshing and renewing joys that, if they’re not already as much a treat as you desire, can be converted with a bit of your special knowledge and skill into the most wonderful lemonade. Cheers!
Art-Colored Glasses 
These yellows make me feel so good.
Exactly as I hoped, then!
xoxo!
K
Is the sunflower for sale?
I did it entirely digitally, so I could send you a file via email for you to print or have printed, or I could set it up for printing at an online company like Zazzle (where I have a store of my artwork and designs). I don’t really mind just sending you the file individually, as you’re nice enough to ask, and let it be my gift to you. Just send me an email directly at kathryningrid@gmail dot com and I can reply with the file directly to you. I’m glad you like it so well. 😀
xo
Oh, you are so generous. Will email you tomorrow!
Wonderful tribute and attitude Kathryn. I could do with better lemonade making skills. 🙂
Brad, you are a brewer-of-lemonade par excellence. Why else do so many of us turn to your blog for uplift and inspiration? 😀
Thank you Kathryn. I do it far better online than in my personal life.
That’s one of the main reasons I *have* an online life. So much encouragement to be better than I am by nature! It must have that effect on you, too, I’ll bet, since you come across as so clearly positive and compassionate and mindful! 🙂
xo
Thanks Kathryn.
So very sweet. I miss my mom so much.
I’m sorry for your loss. I guess those of us who ‘stay behind’ are tasked with being as “missable” as we can (in the good sense). Here’s to our carrying on the lemonade-making tradition and spreading the sunshine to others as best we can.
K
Thanks. I know it happens to everyone. Death is a part of life. You can’t escape it, so I have to accept it. To me she is still alive and always will be., and she is always with me.
The hardest part of it all was that she did suffer while she was sick. I wish I could have done something to stop that.