A Generation of Mothers

My grandmother, top left, and my great grandmother top right,

with my mother in front of her, my aunt is youngest, next to my great aunt.

Reflections on Mothers Past

On this Mother's Day, I reflect on life changes as celebrations such as this, come and go. A year of firsts without my mother. Her birthday, my birthday, Mother's Day, going to the Cape and the year will continue as such until that date of the first full year after her death.

Recently, my aunt shared a story she remembered about Mother's Day. It makes me think that we are all daughters of a mother and at some point all of those daughters have felt the loss of their mother. She told of the first Mother's Day for my grandmother after her mother(my great grandmother) had passed away. My grandmother had said to my aunt that she wished Mother's Day would not come as she would have to wear a white flower. At church, on Mother's Day, you would wear a red flower if your mother were alive and a white flower if your mother had passed away. Mother's Day came, they picked up their flowers, and my grandmother, tears filling her eyes, put on the white flower. My aunt says it was a very sad time that she will never forget.

I think of the white flower, that my grandmother wore for her mother, then years later, that my mother wore for my grandmother after she passed, and I realize that we each have our turn eventually. My aunt wisely ended with an important reminder. She said to wear the flower proudly because we are all products of those strong, proud ladies.

Yes, I will wear a white flower because, I am strong, and I am proud of them all.