Forgive me if I wax a little nostalgic here. You see, yesterday was Mothering Sunday in England, a mothers' day that occurs on the middle Sunday of Lent, rather than in May as we do in North America. The traditional flower gift then is lily of the valley.
Some years ago, I happened to be in Sussex spending a few days en route to see my parents in South Africa. For Mothering Sunday, my two daughters took me on an outing to Sheffield Park and garden, a National Trust property (see link for more http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-sheffield-park-garden/). On arrival we got our priorities right, and first went for tea and scones. Yum. Then we wandered around those magnificent gardens, laid out by Capability Brown himself ... and don't you just love that name?
When this memory comes up for me, a particular kind of soft joy rises in my soul. I hope and trust it will stay with me for the rest of my life. What made that day so special, apart from the fact that we were blessed with sunshine? I think it was the thought my girls had put into it. And I was reminded of this by a Monday morning phone call from a friend, who told me she'd taken her mom on a surprise outing to a butterfly conservatory and how wonderful that had been.
Smallish deeds, perhaps, but ones that glow will a special kind of grace... for which I'm grateful.
And as a p.s., the gardens around White Lodge were also designed by Capability Brown. One of these days I'll blog about them on my writing website. I'll let you know when I do.
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