Flowers for Mom

It had been just over a year since my mom, Helen, passed away on April 27.  I have to say that I feel I have cried more tears this last year, than any other time in my life.  I sometimes wonder if I will run out of tears.  I miss her so much.  

Around 10 years ago, I met someone through my garden hobby.   She has since then become a close girlfriend and actually my neighbor.  I will call her MM.  

MM’s mom was also a widow at the time and was similar in age to my mom.  MM showed me through her actions ways of spoiling her mother.  Every week, MM would go visit her mom, a 30-minute drive and give her a large bouquet of flowers.  This was not your simple small Aldi bouquet, this was a large gorgeous multi-stemmed arrangement.   MM would take her mom anything she needed, plus more.  I thought to myself,  I could do that.  I want to spoil my mom.  She deserved all the love I could give her.

So it became a tradition for me to take my mom a bouquet of flowers, or a plant, and a yummy treat or anything else that would make her feel special.  I did this every time I went to visit.   She loved it.  This tradition became even more important as she was in an assisted living during Covid.   She needed spoiling.  She needed sunshine in her day.  Flowers have a way of doing just that.

When I was able to take her out of her facility during the Covid lockdown, I took a picnic to share with her in my car.  I would pack pretty picnic plates, cloth napkins, yummy lunch, and a thermos of coffee to have with our cookies. (She loved her coffee)   I would drive her somewhere scenic and we would enjoy our lunch together, even in January.   On our last outing, a few months before she died, I drove her up the Mississippi River to Bellevue Iowa.  I parked by the dam on the river and we enjoyed our picnic together. We watched 30-plus bald eagles diving for their lunch amongst the ice blocks. She felt special.  I didn’t know this would be our last outing together. 

So I have to say, I made the best of our time together-every time.  I have no regrets.   Thanks goes out to my friend  MM, for showing me how to go above and beyond to spoil my mom.  

Someone said at my mom’s funeral-isn’t it better to give plants and flowers before a person dies, instead of a flower spray or plant at their funeral?  Absolutely!

If you are fortunate to still have your mom, how about spoiling her with flowers this Mother’s Day or any day. It will bring sunshine to her day!