Tell Me A Story: flowers

Monday, May 30, 2016

FRIENDSHIP ROSE

Mary Marcia
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Link: http://tellmeastory-marcia.blogspot.com/2016/05/friendship-rose.html

Today I'm sharing a blog I first wrote in March 2014.

FRIENDSHIP

Relationship between two people
     affection
        sympathy
           empathy
              honesty
                 compassion
                    understanding
                       fun
                          trust
                             faith
                                love
                                   caring

"But friendship is the breathing rose,

with sweets in every fold."

Oliver Wendell Holmes

(1809-1894)

American physician, poet, professor, lecturer and author.

There is a time when mothers and daughters become friends.

If we try to be friends when our girls are too young, they lose a mother.

Then who will be their mother?

Being a mom is often a thank-less job, but not always.

My daughter, Faith, gave me red carnations for Valentine's Day. They bloomed for 19 days.

This week, Faith gifted me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers that she hand picked from the florist: red, yellow, ivory and lavender roses and a red carnation.

I arranged each flower carefully in two of my favorite blue-and-white vases. I gently touched the precious petals, and drank in their fragrance. I brushed my hand across the rosemary in the pot next to the roses. It's scent lingered on my hands. For one brief moment I forgot about the snow covered ground outside my kitchen window.

"Why beautiful flowers again?" I asked my daughter.

"I just wanted to thank you for taking me to divisional championship swim meets, Mom," said Faith.

Going to swim practice and swim meets is something we always do. It's nothing out of the ordinary.

What's extraordinary is a young woman who brings gifts (purchased with her hard-earned money) to her mom, and to countless others. Only God knows each act of kindness Faith bestows on others. One day He will reward her openly for her acts done in secret.

I'm proud to share that Faith earned medals in every event she swam at division championships. She trains hard every day at swim practice.

I'm even more proud, in a godly way, of the way Faith lives her life in service to others.

Thanks
for
stopping
by!

Come
back
often,
and
invite
a friend!

Mary Marcia

Mother to Kristin, Benjamin, Sarah & Faith

Grandmother to Joshua, Megan, Emily & Caleb

America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Link: http://tellmeastory-marcia.blogspot.com/2016/05/friendship-rose.html

Friday, May 6, 2016

PLANT YOUR OWN GARDEN

Mary Marcia
America's STORYTELLER
Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

http://tellmeastory-marcia.blogspot.com/

My gift to you today

is a poem,

After A While,

by Veronica A. Shoffstall.

I've loved one of Veronica's *quotes for years,

and just learned that it is a part of a longer poem.

"...*Plant your own garden

And decorate your own soul,

Instead of waiting

for someone to bring you flowers..."

I searched for biographical information

about Veronica Shoffstall,

but did not find anything.

Her poem is a treasure.

I wish Veronica could tell us

the stories behind her wisdom.

My soul needs encouragement,

and maybe - just maybe -

your soul needs encouragement, too.

AFTER A WHILE

Poem by Veronica A. Shoffstall

Photos from Marcia's Garden

I actually took Veronica's advice,

and planted my own garden,

rather than waiting for someone to bring me flowers.

She's right.
It decorates my soul.

AFTER A WHILE

By Veronica A. Shoffstall

After a while,

you learn the subtle difference

Between holding a hand

and chaining a soul,

And you learn

that love doesn’t mean leaning

And company doesn’t mean security,

And you begin to learn

that kisses aren’t contracts

And presents aren’t promises,

And you begin to accept your defeats

With your head up and your eyes open,

With the grace of a woman

Not the grief of a child,

And learn to build all your roads on today

Because tomorrow’s ground

is too uncertain for plans,

And futures

have a way of falling down in mid-flight.

And after a while,

you learn

That even sunshine burns

if you get too much.

So you plant your own garden

And decorate your own soul,

Instead of waiting

for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn

that you really can endure…

That you really are strong

And you really do have worth

And you learn and learn…

With every goodbye, you learn.

Thanks for stopping by!

Come back often, and invite a friend!

Marcia Norwood

America's STORYTELLER

Telling Untold Stories in Photographs, Prose and Public Speaking

Tell Me A Story

TELL ME A STORY

Monday, May 30, 2016

FRIENDSHIP ROSE

Friday, May 6, 2016

PLANT YOUR OWN GARDEN

AMERICA'S STORYTELLER, Marcia Norwood