Rituals and Traditions

 There are some things I'm very traditional about.  Rituals and traditions as it relates to my family is one of them.  Each week, usually on Saturday, when I have time I wander through the garden looking at the flowers.  I wonder which ones to cut to put into a little silver vase that a good friend gave to me eons ago.  Thanks Sheila Condon. 

 That little vase is placed next to a watercolor painting done by the daughter of another friend.  Thanks Wanda June and Sondra.  It is a watercolor painting of my daughter and her son, who was about five years old at the time.  I love the absolute love shown in that painting done from a photograph.  In addition, there is a little photo that I snapped of Jennifer one day when she dropped by my house in the winter.  I wanted a photo of her and spontaneously, this is what it turned out to be.  I love it.  She had such a great smile and a love of life.

The ritual for me allows me to focus and think about her in a joyful and beautiful way as I wander through the garden and choose the flowers to place next to her.  They are on a table next to my bed and the first thing I see when I awaken every morning.  It's not a sad thing.  It is comforting.  I'm totally confident that her spirit looks and smiles each week.

I often choose the color white as it was Jennifer's favorite color to decorate with in her home.  All kinds of shades of white.  Hence when I redid the main flower bed in the garden, I planted all white flowers.  White azaleas, white butterfly lilies, and other white flowers that I don't even know what they are.  Now there is a bed around the poinsetta tree nearby that started out as four small plants of daisies.  Tomorrow I will show you a surprise in the white garden and what has happened with the daisies.  I'm amazed.  Hopefully you will be too.