Mother's Day

 
On a specific Sunday in May, everyone
goes to their places of worship. But instead
of bringing money to put in their collection plates,
they bring in a flower. It doesn’t matter if it’s a rose,
or a daisy, a tulip or a dandelion, but as people
enter these so-called sacred buildings, they walk
down a space between the seating toward where
a speaker stands in quiet reverence. As they approach
this area of the building, the entire crowd is hushed
except for the low hum of organ or piano music,
maybe a choir is singing some sweet tune
about Mother Earth or Mother Nature. The individuals
solemnly place their floral pieces into vases of consecrated
water, and then the individuals go and find a seat.
The speakers at the front of the building then speak words
over the flowers and the people. They tell stories of motherhood
and reiterate how people should treat each other. There is generally
more music, and then near the end of the gathering,
people are invited to take a piece of a floral plant that they wish
to take home. It may or may not be the piece they arrived with.
They may choose one that might be bigger, or smaller,
more colorful, or less, one they consider more precious
than the rest or one they connect to on a personal level,
maybe it reminds them of a story from their childhood,
or the piece of floral plant they had given to someone special
in their life. But this is supposed to symbolize the beauty
of motherhood and the importance of gratitude
 for that relationship.