May be the First
Today in History is May Basket Day! Basically what this entails is “As the month of April rolled to an end, people would begin gathering flowers and candies and other goodies to put in May baskets to hang on the doors of friends, neighbors and loved ones on May 1.” –npr.org Essentially ding dong ditching but kinder. One cute side of this long lost tradition had a romantic element, you would leave a basket on the door of someone you had a romantic interest in and if they saw you they would give chase and try to steal a kiss from the basket hanger. How adorable is that? So sad this tradition has lost it’s way in this fast moving world.
My May Day Experience
Apparently, I celebrated May Basket Day as a child… but my memory is terrible, so my mom had to tell me this fact and then I got to hear how she did this with her family when they were younger. They used pixie cups, pipe cleaners and some candy, so I asked if she would share this May Basket Day experience with my son Ru. She happily agreed and we set about making the baskets and hopefully starting a tradition that will carry on year after year.
My Reality
This is a reality for my life… if I ask, my mom will come, what an amazing comfort to know I have a mom who has my back always! Recently she told me how she is trying to step away from social media because she feels she gets too selfish when she is on there… this seriously stopped me in my tracks, my mom selfish? This is the last word I would ever associate with her, and my sisters agree. “I don't think there is a time that mom is not selfless.” This is the first sentence of both their replies when I asked them questions about our mom. If you looked up mom in the dictionary there would be a picture of my mom there, this may be a cliché but it doesn’t make it any less true. My mom is up for any of my craft ideas and we tend to have many crafty days, I am so happy my love for crafts comes from her. One thing I always ask her to help with is hanging things up in my house… we both are pretty horrible at this task so doing it together is quite hilarious! Seriously we are bad but I wouldn’t even think to ask anyone else. My mom has become one of my best friends, she is the only person I thoroughly enjoy talking to on the phone, besides my husband. Every Monday I call her while I am at the grocery store and I love those Monday chats. My sisters also view my mom as a friend as well; she is just enjoyable to be around.
Erin’s Reality
“There are so many selfless moments that I can think of and all of them are huge! I have funny ones, gross ones, and unimaginable ones! She watches our kids while we work and takes care of their every need...this is unimaginable! Any item of clothing that gets a stain or is hard to wash she gladly treats them and washes them and returns them to me clean and folded. When we adopted a huge puppy she started to care for him too! This is not an easy addition to her life (especially when he gets loose stool or has grass hanging from his bottom and needs it cleaned). I remember when the kids were at the annoying toddler stage and I would call her to watch them while I got my hair done or went to the dentist and she would gladly keep them for me. Then I noticed when she had those appointments she would also have the kids with her and say that it was ok and she didn't need me to rearrange my schedule for her. Crazy how she can handle life's situations and make them seem normal and just part of her day and I would make such a big deal about taking them places with me. I always say she is an extension of my body...because where I leave off she picks up and my life flows seamlessly as if I really am two people and can actually handle all of these situations that pop up in my life.”
Lauren’s Reality
“I don't think there is a time that mom is not selfless. She always looks to see what she can do for someone else. I could probably tell you a million stories, but the one that sticks out to me most is when she stayed with me right after we had Jess. Colin was on the truck still and had to go back to work the day after we came home from the hospital. Mom came and stayed with me and woke up every time I had to with Jess. She helped me feel comforted and like I could actually do this parenting thing. She would sit up and talk with me while I tried to feed Jess and then pumped. Changed Jess diaper, etc. she never complained. She would make sure I was okay in the morning and then go about her day to return the next night to get very little sleep. She usually had an item she knew I would need the next night. She also is always a phone call away. She always knows the right thing to say. She can talk me down when i am angry, calm me when I'm fearful, laughs with me in the joyous times and let's me cry if I need to. She always gives you her 100% attention and makes you feel like the #1 person to her. I hope I will be able to amount to half of the woman she is someday. I would be lucky to reach that.”
My Mom’s Reality… in my eyes
Mom, you are establishing such a legacy through your daughters and your grandkids. You have taught me to be caring and giving and even to sacrifice my time for others, to make their lives easier. When we are in trouble you are the one we call, when we are upset you allow us to vent to you, when we are hurting you offer us prayer and love. You mom, represent Christ’s love in an impactful way, and that is the legacy you have.
