Mother’s Day this year will be celebrated with the ‘Ole Buckeye, my son and his family.  We will celebrate Mothers…the mother of my grandchildren, my mother, my mother in law, and grandmothers.

I always try to avoid a meal “out” because of the crowds and the chaos.  Family time is all that is important.  However, it is a day away from the kitchen for the “Moms”.

In the past, Mother’s Day became a “honey do” day for my husband, and my children.  Since Mother’s Day marked the time when in Chicagoland, it was finally safe to plant and avoid frost, it most often became a day of outdoor gardening.  The family would do planting and landscaping projects. We would then enjoy a dinner together.  As my daughter grew older, she would often prepare a very special meal.

The one thing that I have treasured over the years in my yard are the plantings of perennials that I have taken from my mother’s garden.  So often the young green shoots would be popping out of the ground around Mother’s Day and bloom during the summer and fall, perpetually preserving a part of my mom in my garden.

When we moved last summer part of me was saddened that I would be leaving that special link to my mom.  Prior to the house being sold, I moved several “starts” to my neighbor Gail’s yard.  Because we were moving to the townhouse with limited space, I did not have ground available for additional plantings.

Much to the ‘Ole Buckeye’s dismay, I insisted upon bringing one cutting of the iris.  It seemed to be the easiest to transport and survive the move.

Not only did the iris survive…it has flourished.  Mom’s iris began blooming a few weeks ago, and even with the heavy rains this past week, there are even more buds ready to explode into bloom.  The iris nestled in a little corner of the courtyard is a part of my mom that continues to grow and give great joy.

As I composed this blog, researching as I consistently do, I discovered that the word Iris is from the Greek word meaning Rainbow, a link between heaven and earth, a connection between the spiritual and physical world.  The iris is said to represent faith, hope, and wisdom.   That made me smile, because my iris truly is a link to my Mom.