I have been thinking about my mother a lot recently.  Yes, mother’s day is coming (it’s on May 10^th FYI) but it’s not the holiday per say, that is making me contemplative.  It is simply that my mom is amazing.  My thoughts lean toward her each passing day of my adulthood and I think of her more and more.  I appreciate her more and more and yes, even love her more and more.  My parents always told me growing up that you don’t get to choose who your family is.  This is a very true, sometimes harsh reality for a majority of the population.  For someone with no choice in the matter at all, I certainly lucked out.  My mom was able to stay at home with us as we grew up; one of the greatest treasures, biggest sacrifices and most lavish gifts I will ever receive is that every day, my mom was there.  She woke us up every morning and was there when we came home from school every afternoon.  She didn’t do everything for us. Oh no, she helped us learn how to be self-sufficient, taught us to cook, to do laundry, to be respectful, to sew, and to generally be productive little people and no, not for an allowance.  We did these things under her guidance not for money, but because we were a part of a whole; a member of the household, these were our responsibilities.  She taught me that each day I can make the world a better place by participating and taking pride in what I do.

While she made us into little, accountable people who grew up to be capable adults, she also indulged our fantasies.  We could always use the couch as a fort; I mean what else is a couch for?!  Of course we could use the National Geographic Magazines as stones during an epic hot lava game; what else would work better?  She even dug a 5 foot deep by 6 foot wide hole in the tough Nevada dirt and covered it with wooden beams for my brother to have a fortress.  All boys need a hideout after all.  She would make us high tea when the weather turned nice… we would walk home from school to find her out in her luscious garden surrounded by quaking aspen, her long chestnut curls in a loose ponytail, table covered with a floral cloth; tea and cakes and scones all set out.  She would call to us asking if we would join her and under the shade of the trees with the smell of blossoming flowers on the wind, she would ask about our day as she poured tea.  She would listen, really listen, as her motherly hands lumped sugar and poured cream into each little tea cup with care and once we were done sharing, she would tell us stories.  Sometimes she would reach down and snap off the stem of a dandelion.  She would hold it up to our little faces and say, “close your eyes, make a wish, and blow.” It’s something her grandmother always did and this time of year, when the little seeded fluffs start to sprout up in my lawn, I look at them and smile. Then with a deft hand, snap the stem, bring it to my face and hear my mom whisper, “make a wish,” and I wish that I will be the kind of mother my mom is one day, and I close my eyes and blow.

Here is a little craft to make with those beautiful dandelions, a wish-in-a-jar necklace. A perfect gift for this mother’s day or for anyone out there that could use a wish or two.

You will need

• Little cork-topped vials, I got mine on amazon.com
• Thin jewelry wire
• Necklace Chain
• Dandelion seeds

How To:

• Pull off the seeds from the dandelion and place in vials, using tweezers if you need to
• Take jewelry wire and shape into a loop twisting the two ends together, trim short
• Push the twisted ends of the jewelry wire into the cork top leaving just the loop showing
• Thread your necklace chain through the loop
• Push your cork back into the vial

To wishes,

Marcella Rose