Flowers picked and offered on open palms.  Doors banging open shut, open shut as the kids run in and out.  Children presenting me with gifts of flowers for Mother’s Day.  Warm  kisses.  Hugs that envelope and a moment of stillness as their heads lay on my shoulder….briefly.  Messy hair.  Dirty feet.  And then they’re off again…

Counting my blessings today on this day.  The last week of school and activities are right and left.  Activity days, field days, graduations, parties, gifts to give, awards ceremonies.  The calendar is full and each day needs a moment of prayer for remembrance and stamina.  Like a puff it will be summer  and the kids will run in and out and in and out and over and again.

The sidewalks will be covered with chalk, the laundry room will become a repository for damp towels and swimsuits waiting for the next day, the pantry and refrigerator will suffer from constant foraging, the freezer door will get a workout from giving away popsicles, the grass will get trampled with five sets of feet playing. The dog will leap at the sprinklers and the hose.  The cat will hide from grubby hands.

The sun will rise and set to a different tune.

And the garden will be bare, and my vases will be full of flowers.