I will be revealing my age by telling you the song that buzzes through my head at this time of year. “I was strolling through the park one day, in the merry month of May.” In our house, though, there is very little time for strolling in any park. And though I love using the word ‘merry’ for many reasons, there is every bit as much madness in May as there ever was in March. It’s an action-packed month from start to finish.
May first was once a big day in my life. At school, we used construction paper and crayons to make pretty little baskets. Then, early in the morning, my sister and I would find any available flowers to add to the baskets and place them on our neighbors’ porches without being discovered. Sweet, creative, with a touch of mystery. What could be better? If May wasn’t so packed already, I would try to revive this tradition.
The first weekend in Central Arkansas means community festivals. One, in Faulkner County, celebrates a hopping amphibian with warts. The Saline County community of Paron also comes together, with food, music and craft sales for all to enjoy. The creative Carlisles may actually show up at this one, with a booth dedicated to showing off hubby’s success in his well-stocked woodshop.
Just after that, our family will welcome a new princess near the Magic Kingdom. Carlisle grandbaby number eight will join her Mom, Dad and older brothers in Orlando. Granny and Grandpa will give the little family a few weeks to adjust before we fly in for hugs and cuddles.
On the eighth, our first grandson celebrates his 17th birthday. We would prefer that you keep your math skills to yourself at this point. This makes Granny and Grandpa feel old enough, thank you very much. We are seventeen times as proud as we were when this guy was born, because he has grown into a very smart, talented and inspirational young man.
The next weekend will celebrate mothers. Both of ours are now in heaven, so we have a little more flexibility in our schedule. A happy day for me would include speaking with all three of my precious ones, and knowing that they are enjoying their own families. Simple, no stress, all smiles. Since it always happens on my favorite first day of the week, it is guaranteed to be well with this Mama’s soul.
In some years past, we have worked in a graduation or two. It’s been several decades since my high school ceremony at the old football stadium in Bryant. I remember wondering what the plan would be if it rained. Surely, there was a plan. Thankfully, God showed His mercy that night, and we marched forward with no splashes. We also remember two visits to the top of Barnhill Arena in Fayetteville, as our two boys graduated from college. One, with a wife and brand-new baby in the audience, and the other very happy to be walking after recovering from a badly broken leg a few months earlier. Next May, I guess we’ll be in Texas watching that oldest grandson on his happy day.
On the 18th our daughter and her husband celebrate their wedding anniversary. These two have defied the odds after marrying very young, and moving away from home to raise their own family. They have both held down jobs, bought their own home, are involved in their community, and have three handsome young men to show for their efforts. Excuse me a moment as I sew the buttons back on my shirt after they have popped off with pride.
The next to the last day of the month is the second birthday of our sixth grandchild. This one has recently latched on to his Grandpa, and has no bones about letting everyone know who his favorite is. We plan to fly in to meet his new little sister on his big day this year. I am not the least bit concerned that my presence is only a side-line for this little one. I sort of like his Grandpa, too.
Just when you think you’ve read enough about our family’s celebrations; I have saved the biggest day for last. It was on May 31st, seventy-two years ago that our branch of the family tree was founded, as James’s parents were married in the vault of the Saline County Courthouse. In the year of the nation’s bi-centennial, James and I started our journey at my Lutheran church in Little Rock. Then, to cap off the tri-fecta, his only sister Bonnie married her perfect match in Perryville on that same day in 2014.
As we have discussed before, the exceptional weather in the Ouachita region causes us to try to pack a lot of activities into a couple of selected months. May is more than marvelous! But, now, I need a nap.
Leave a Reply