Post 4: Mother’s Day

One day belated Mother’s Day.

I have a mother.

I am a mother.

I have a mother-in-law… who I love.

My mom’s favorite flower is the tiger lily. It reminds her of her dad. He passed away when I was little. I have brief memories of him. Tiger lilies were not included in my memories of him.

Up North here, we have wood lilies which are similar to Tiger lilies. I thought they were the same. Until I started taking photos and joined some fun bug and plant groups. (I grew up near the AB/SK border so I am part Saskie…. #bunnyhug4lyfe )

But one thing we allllll agree upon is to leave wildflowers where they are.

Lilies are especially susceptible to being destroyed by picking them. If you damage the bulb, they won’t grow back.

I am so proud of how my husband and I have taught our boys to not pick the flowers…. Except dandelions… we can pick those to our hearts content. Moms love dandelion bouquets. Take the photos. Watch. Admire. Appreciate. Love. They see the flowers and get excited to show me. They never pick them for me.

Just like our mothers and mother figures.

Love them. As they are. Admire them. Appreciate them. Because they don’t last forever.

And then like flowers in a season…. Only the memories remain.

To all of my friends and family who have lost their mothers…. my heart hurts for you.

To my Mom and my MIL…. I adore you both. My mom got me through my youth and has guided and supported me through the roughest moments of my life ( #infertility #pregnancyloss ). My MIL has been my guiding light and my support in the adjustment as a farm wife and mom these past 20 years. Without both of you, I can’t imagine the human I would be.

This is why photos can be so powerful. One image brings so much emotion and so many memories for me.