Rose Bushes.
I cannot remember how many I have purchased over the years –
either as an adult or as a younger child with the help of my Daddy.
Pink ones, red ones, old-fashioned ones.
Small ones, large ones, fully in-bloom ones.
And always in correlation with the same holiday.
Mother’s Day.
I would gleefully add a a pretty bow around the pot and present it to
my dear Mama.
Happy Mother’s Day.
Mama would “ooooh” and “aaahh” and go on and on about
how much she loved it.
And I would already start formulating in my mind,
what color rose bush I would buy for her the next year.
My Mama would plant the new rose bush with all the others, and
sometimes there would be two of them to plant if my sister had
also given one, too.
‘Cause Mama loved rose bushes. You could see it on her face every
year when we gave them to her.
Now anyone who loves roses and has rose bushes in their garden,
knows without a doubt, they require a lot of work.
A LOT of work.
Pruning and de-bugging and fertilizing. They are as much work as a
newborn baby in some ways. Their gentle beauty comes with a price.
Mama took care of her roses, because they had been gifts from her daughters.
Year after year, her rose garden grew.
Mother’s Day after Mother’s Day.
Rose bush after rose bush.
In my later adult years, as I walked up to Mama and Daddy’s house –
I noticed several large containers of Daylilies. Daylilies?
What was Mama doing with Daylilies? I mean, roses were her thing.
She loved her rose garden.
She loved working in her rose garden and caring for them.
“Mama, where did the Daylilies come from?”
“I bought them at the garden center today. Aren’t they pretty?”
(Well, yes, they were pretty but…)
“What are you going to do with them?”
“Dad made me a new flower bed to plant them in.”
“Oh… a new flower bed?” I asked, a little perplexed.
“Yes, behind the koi pond.”
“That will be pretty. I like day lilies.”
I still didn’t quite understand why she wanted a new bed, with
more work and care and gardening time involved, especially when she
loved her roses so much.
“They will be easy to take care of. They pretty much take care of themselves.
I’ve always loved Daylilies.”
And that is when it started making sense to me…
Tending the roses was hard work. Time consuming and sometimes
“thorny” painful work.
We lived on a large farm, and Mama worked just as hard as my Daddy.
And at the end of the day, after the work in the fields were done –
she still had to cook and clean and take care of her children.
… and her roses. Lots and lots of roses.
All of which she had not ever asked for, or purchased herself for that matter.
Roses which had been gifted to her by two daughter’s
(and sometimes a son) who were so happy to be giving their
beloved Mama something she loved – that we did not stop long
enough to ask her if she actually did love them.
Mama spent all that time – countless hours throughout the years –
taking care of roses, not so much because she loved the act of gardening
and caring for thorny bushes – but because she did not have the
heart to tell her daughters and her son that Daylilies were
her favorite flowers.
She could not let the rose bushes just die and fade away…
we would be heart broken.
And in that moment of awareness, I looked over at the Daylilies
and said…”where is a spade?”
“Why?” Mama asked.
“I want to help you start your new daylily bed.”
…and she smiled.
You know what I bought my Mama that year for Mother’s Day?
Nope, not roses. Not even Daylilies.
I bought her some new pink gardening gloves, a matching pink
garden spade and various gardening tools… and a gift card to Lowe’s.
So she could buy Daylilies or Geraniums or Daisies…
or whatever her heart desired.
Mama is almost 80 now, and her health doesn’t allow her to
do much gardening any more. The roses have been replaced
with easier-to-care-for bulbs and flowers that do not require much work.
I learned a valuable lesson about gift giving in general.
So now…I give my Mama a little something homemade –
made from love and from the heart.
‘Cause Mama says when you are her age, you already have
everything in life you both want and need.
When Mama said that to me recently, I hugged her tight and
kissed her still-smooth cheek and said…
“Mama, this almost 50-year old woman has everything she could possibly
ever want or need, too.”
Kim @ Savvy Southern Style says
What a sweet story and look at you making soap. I bet it smells good.
View Commentmarty (A Stroll Thru Life) says
I love your soap, how wonderful is that, and what a special gift. Hugs,Marty
View CommentShirley@Housepitality Designs says
A perfect gift…I am sure she will love it as it was made from love…
View CommentBonnie and Trish @ Uncommon says
Thanks so much for sharing the how to on this soap, it is beautiful and I’m sure it smells divine! I love how you share from your heart… now I think I need to call my Mama! Thanks for sharing at the Monday Funday link party this week!
Take care,
Trish
View CommentKristen @ Sophia's Decor says
Love this! I’ve always wanted to make homemade soap…I’ll have to try this one! I can almost smell it now:)
View CommentLaura @ Top This Top That says
Send me some!! 🙂 This makes a wonderful gift for mom and for me.
View CommentCarol says
Sweet story and your soaps look almost good enough to eat! They are very pretty, I love Rosemary. Have a great week! Carol
View CommentCindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home says
Such a sweet post and THANKS so much for the recipe…I’m going to try this!
View CommentTell your mom hi! I’m sure she will LOVE this sweet gift of handmade soap!
Thanks so much for sharing at Amaze Me Monday…
Blessings,
Cindy
Krista Low says
What a fabulous post! And such a sweet message. I know I am guilty of purchasing gifts that I would like over what I think the receiver may want. This is a great reminder. Thank you. I love this soap recipe. What a perfect pampering for Mother’s day, and something homemade. Love it! Thanks so much for sharing this. Krista @ A Handful of Everything
View CommentKathysue says
Love this post Barb, so thoughtfully written, and I can not wait to make some soap with you and our gal pals when you visit!How did it smell once it was all done?
View CommentHappy Monday,
xo Kathysue
Mixed Kreations says
What a sweet post. I have never made any soap before, but have been wanting to try. Your recipe looks so easy. I am going to have to try it. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Linda
View CommentTina C says
Such a sweet post. I bet your kitchen smelled heavenly while you were making the soap. Thank you for sharing.
View CommentCynthia says
This is a great story. I bet this soap smells divine, citrus and rosemary, they are made for each other.
Cynthia
View Commentmarty (A Stroll Thru Life) says
This is such a fabulous idea. Thanks for joining Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty
View Commentlynn cockrell says
What a lovely post! A good lesson in the “art” of giving for sure. Your soaps look beautiful and surely will be a hit with your sweet mother.
View Commentmarty (A Stroll Thru Life) says
Love this idea. Beautifully done. Hugs, Marty
View CommentSelene @ Restoration Beauty says
I loved reading your post…so heart warming! And the soap looks delightful! Thank you so much for sharing!
View CommentSelene @ Restoration Beauty
~Lavender Dreamer~ says
I love the pretty soaps but most of all, I loved reading yours sweet story. I missed having a daughter…but I am blessed with 4 sons! Sweet hugs!
View CommentHeather Painchaud says
You make it look so easy! I might have to attempt soap making in my future 🙂
View Commentandrea@townandprairie says
This really made me cry…I read every word. It’s so true, too, how mothers always look after and save even the most inconsequential items to us… because they are mothers.
View CommentGee Singh Newbanks says
Such a sweet post. Brought tears to my eyes….
View CommentThanks for the hot to on the soap.
Happy Friday.
Hugs, Gee
Jennifer Hughes says
Visiting from Monday Funday. I’d like to invite you to my Friday Flash Blog, where you can share your best blog entry of the week! The party goes on ALL weekend at thejennyevolution.com. And who knows, you may just get featured next week.
Jennifer
View Commentthejennyevolution.com
Angela Betlewicz says
Thanks for sharing this! I really want to try it! Going you via a stroll thru life. Newest follower. You can find me decorating, baking and painting on HickoryTrail
View CommentCarol says
I can almost smell how wonderful this would be!
View CommentKarinn says
Hello! This looks amazing, how long does this typically last for. Can I add vitamin E to increase the shelf life?
View CommentBarb says
I have some of these original bars still. I store them in apothecary jars. Yes, I have made others and added Vit C and E. Hope you enjoy making these. I love mine.
View CommentApril says
I absolutely love the story as well as the little lesson at the end. I totally agree and love to give gifts I KNOW the person will use. The home made soap recipe is awesome too! Thank you.
View CommentTracey says
How could I make this soap with actual goat’s milk? Also,I am absolutely touched by your story. You should either be writing a book of short vignettes or submitting your stories for publication.
View CommentBarb says
That is very sweet thanks. I’m sorry I really don’t know. I would love to have access to the real stuff. 🙂
View CommentJohnna says
I wonder if I could use Essential Oil Citrus Oil, is that the same thing you used?
View CommentBarb says
Absolutely. At the time I made this I didn’t, but now I only use my EO’s when I make my soaps. 🙂
View Comment