The Start of Spring and Mother's Day: renewal and memories

Aline Haddad

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Tulips growing in the Bollenstreek area of the Netherlands. Wikimedia Commons.

March 21 marks the start of spring and Mother's Day in many countries. It evokes nostalgic memories for me, as it does for many others who celebrate their mothers on this day.

This is a special date for two reasons. On the one hand, it marks the beginning of spring, that long-awaited season when nature is reborn and the days grow longer, full of promise and renewal. On the other hand, it's also Mother's Day in many Middle Eastern countries, a day dedicated to celebrating maternal love and devotion.

I still remember the moments I spent with my mother on that special day, her warm smiles and unconditional love. These memories are engraved in my mind like eternal flower petals, reminding me of the beauty of our mother-daughter relationship.

Now that I've become a mother myself and live in Canada, I celebrate Mother's Day in May. This new summertime tradition has taken root in my life: I can mark this occasion with my own daughter, creating new memories filled with joy and tenderness. Despite this transition, March 21 is still a day of nostalgia for me. It's a day when memories of my mother, now departed from us, seem more vivid than ever.

Over the years, I've learned that physical distance never erases the bond we have with our departed loved ones. Their presence continues to radiate in our lives, like the sweet scent of spring flowers that perfumes our most precious memories.

On this day of spring and Mother's Day, I'd like to extend my warmest wishes to all mothers around the world. May your day be filled with love, happiness, and precious moments shared with your loved ones. May your dedication and unconditional love be recognized and celebrated today and every day.

And for all the mothers who have left us, I would like to offer this humble prayer:

Dear mother, may your soul rest in peace in the tender arms of the Lord.

Your memories continue to illuminate our lives, and your love remains eternal in our hearts.

May you find serenity and bliss in your journey beyond the horizons, knowing that you are loved and live forever in our thoughts and prayers!

May this spring and Mother's Day be an occasion to celebrate love in all its forms, to cherish precious memories and to nurture the bonds that bind us to our loved ones, present and absent.

Let us also invoke the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Hail, star of the sea,
Nurturing Mother of God,
And ever Virgin
Happy gate of Heaven

Show yourself to be our Mother:
Through you may he receive prayer
Who, being born for us,
Undertook to be your own. Amen