Peony blossoms warm colors with the delicate petals swaying in the breeze gentle as a mother's touch, the perfect flower for Mother’s Day. I have wondered which came first, peonies or Mother’s Day? I cannot think of one without thinking of the other. What better way for Mother Nature to honor our mothers than with this brilliant show of flowers.
Mother's Day Haiku
from inside her womb
she gave birth to who I am
nature's renewal
My mother - Margie Fulgham Hunt
My mother’s face would light up when she thought about peonies. Childhood memories of her mother and the rustic garden she tended brought a smile to her face. This peony has been passed down from my mother’s mother.
My maternal grandmother had a modest garden that was highlighted by this fully double peony.
My mother's mother - Cora Ruth Ford Fulgham
Peonies, like sakura (cherry blossoms), remind us of the impermanence of life. Spring herald's new life with it's eternal promise. Plants grow, flower buds emerge in anticipation of flowers blooming, the beautiful blossoms appear, and then they fade reminding us to appreciate the moment for it will not last forever. So, if your mother is living, pause and give her the present of your time for she will not always be here in the flesh. If she has passed, pause and talk to her spirit for she will hear you.
Whether biologic or adopted, for better or worse, your mother is your mother, no one can take her place. When my mother died, a friend put it very simply when she said "there is no one like your mother."
A gallery of peonies
To all of the women who have been fortunate to have children, Happy Mother's Day!
