my mother had been gone 46 years now but i still miss her, especially on days like this, and most especially when i am sick.
in grade 1, back in the old country, the school would give each pupil a white or red carnation to wear on the left breast of our uniforms. red if your mother was still alive and white if you no longer have your mother. my mother didn't like red flowers, carnation or rose or any red flower. she liked yellow roses and carnation in any other colour but red. so when my teacher handed me a red carnation, i said i prefer the white one. she said that i can't as my mother was still alive. i explained to her that to me a white carnation meant that my love for my mother was pure like the white flower, which is also true of a mother's love for her children, and didn't white represent purity and innocence? my teacher then opted not to give me any flower.
it happened that that day my mother passed by the school on her way from one of her appointments and thought she would walk home with me and my brother. that presented my teacher with the opportunity to speak to her about my choice of flower. she asked my mother if it is alright that i will take a white carnation instead of red and explained my reasoning. before i left the school room teacher pinned the white carnation on my uniform. the other teachers were surprised to see me walking with my mother, who was obviously alive, with me wearing a white carnation on my left breast instead of red.
my mother pressed that little white carnation between the pages of a book and kept it until i was in high school. when i saw it, i teased her that i was her favourite (when all along she claimed all six of us were her favourites). by then the pressed flower was so brittle it crumbled and so was thrown away.
happy mothers day y'all!
this is also fulfills the week 20 prompt of the 52-week challenge which is minimalism.
What a stunning photo! And, such a heartfelt story to go with it. This is a beautiful tribute to your mother and to the daughter who wished to honor her mother's desire. Fav
May 14th, 2020
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