Watercolor Wednesday: Roses to delight

By Leo Boucher. Used with permission; all rights reserved.

This Sunday, America and some other countries (for example South Africa, I believe) will celebrate Mother’s Day. Not Mothering Sunday, the fourth Sunday in Lent that is observed in the UK, but the holiday that falls on the second Sunday in May, as I explain in Finding Myself in Britain. Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, in honor of the founder’s mother, but she became disillusioned when in the 1920s the holiday became over-commercialized.

Mother’s Day can be hard for me, because I’m not able to celebrate my mother in person, and because my family here in England can easily forget the holiday, without any of the cultural reminders to help them. Yes, as some people say, every day is Mother’s (or Father’s) day – why do we need another day? For me, marking the day in May feels special, and like I’m not being asked to lose my Americanness while living in Britain.

This year we celebrated last Sunday, a week early because of conflicting events on the actual holiday. My son giving me chocolate and my daughter some lovely roses (photo above). I was delighted to be reminded of a painting my dad created for one of the senior art classes he teaches, which reflects the roses I have before me. A reminder of God’s beauty in creation, given in love by a family member.

Do you love giving or receiving roses? Why?