A little moment of beauty in a stressful time. I picked these a few minutes ago from the grass around the house to make a mini bouquet.

I’ve been doing this every spring since I can remember. I’d always pick them for Ma when I was a child and every year growing up until I no longer lived at home, and then I’d pick them to remember those wonderful years.

Pa once told me that wild violets were among his beloved mother’s favorite flowers. She died about seven months before I was born, but I knew Pa had loved her deeply, and they gave me one little connection to the grandma I’d never know.

Since 1991 I’ve put my little bouquet in this tiny vase, purchased from a small secondhand street seller in London on my husband’s and my August 1990 honeymoon. Another happy memory to add to the ritual.

And this year more than most, I am so grateful for all those 50 years of memories, woven like a tapestry in my heart. ♥️