Four years ago when we bought our house, I dug up all the lilies from our yard and gave them to my Mom because they weren’t native and I only wanted native flowers in the ground in my yard. One lily persisted in the front flower bed and each year Mom and I joked, “we’ll get it next year.”
Today the lily opened two of her blooms. One for each of us.
So, I sat on my front porch gazing at her beauty as the wind rustled the chimes knowing that she would have brought such delight to Mom’s eyes as tears slid from mine.
Four months without my Mom on this side of earth.
It looks like I’m keeping the lily. I’m going to call her Mona’s Lily.
For what it’s worth, my Mom’s given name wasn’t Mona. Her name was Elfredia Shimchick (pronounced Ell-FREE-dah SHIM-chik). But I called her Mona anyway. Mona was by far my favorite lady and everyone knew it. A few years ago, she posted something on Facebook and signed it as Mona Shimchick. When I read it, I was like, “who the heck is Mona?” She MEANT to sign it as Momma Shimchick, but accidentally put one “m” and autocorrect got her. Anyway, Mona stuck and I called her Mona Fredia from that day forward. In my estimation, she was just as beautiful as the famed Lady painted by da Vinci. I knew that one meaning of Mona is Lady, so I felt it fit. I’d also learned that Mona meant noble, good, peaceful, advisor, counselor, and wise protector. So I was convinced it fit. And, I convinced her that being called Mona was a beautiful thing. So, Mona it was.
I mentioned in my last post that my Mom died on January 30th. She died unexpectedly the day before my birthday. To say that it’s been a tough season would be the grossest kind of understatement.
The last few months have been the strangest mix of peace and pain that I have ever experienced in my entire life. I thought I understood grief after losing two babies. Nothing prepared me for the pain of losing my Mom.
My Mom was a Christian and such a woman of faith. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve pictured her with her arms spread wide, worshiping with abandon and such joy in her eyes. The picture is beautifully crushing, if that makes sense. It’s the most wonderful image of my Mom that there is, and it feels like a Mack truck is carrying it across my heart. I know that one day we will worship in the presence of the Lord together. And that makes me smile.
I’ve finally reached a place where I feel like I can breathe, most days.
And today Mona’s Lily serves as a reminder to rejoice and be glad in the day the Lord has made.
By the way, did you know that a lily symbolizes purity, truth, rebirth, and renewal?