When I was a young girl and up until my High School years on May 1st my mom and I would go outside and collect whatever flowers were blooming at the time to make a “May bouquet” as she called it. We would cut from branches of flowering trees especially because they always seemed to be the most profuse at that time of the year. I grew up in a Catholic household, so not only were those flowers a symbol of Spring and the rebirth that is going on at that time of year but it was Mary’s month. Sometimes we put the flowers in a vase that had a bust of Mary on the front.  I have to admit that I covertly continued the tradition into High School (it really wasn’t cool at that age to make that activity public) and totally left it behind in my college years. I was able to get back to it upon getting married and having a family and a home of my own.

Yesterday, I went out with my youngest son and he with his little pocket knife and I with my scissors cut from the flower laden branches that we could find around our house. We assembled them into a loose flower arrangement and viola…we have a sign of all the glories of the season that is upon us, right on our kitchen table. Not a chance in heck that I would have asked my older boys to join in. One of these days in the not too distant future, I will be  back to completing this activity solo, breathing in all the memories of the past.

Many sincere wishes for a Happy May Day to all of you!