Olivia on My Mother's Birthday

Mama has been gone since August of 1991. Before that her birthday was a significant reason for our family to celebrate. Falling on Epiphany, her birthday brings to mind guiding stars, and the remnants of Christmas greens burned in an open fireplace. Also a special and rather dense cake, tasting of almonds and baked with a lucky nutmeg inside... Mama, with her wise and compassionate approach to life was my guiding star for most of my life. I call on her still.

On this epiphany, with my beloved Mama in mind, I spent much of the day with granddaughter, Olivia, browsing at Barnes and Noble bookstore, eating lunch in the little cafe, talking about joy as a choice and about Olivia's upcoming sojourn in Italy. She is having a semester at Bologna, Italy as part of her junior year at Spring Hill College. Livvy became twenty-one in December of 2016, and displays a beautiful maturity as well as a glorious spirit of adventure. I admire her ability to carry on regardless of some serious odds. Despite two surgeries on her left foot, she continues to deal with pain, but her indomitable spirit carries her forward. How I love and admire her! 

I include as an extra a Purple Dawn Camelia for my Mama, who loved them, and for Olivia whose blooming has much the same effect.