I am not sure of the origin of the whole "rose worn on Mother's Day" tradition. I don't know that it is practiced much any more. Maybe it is just a southern thing? I haven't been to the "homeland" for Mother's Day in the last 13 years.
As a child, we would wear a red rosebud on our suit lapel (yes, we wore suits to church, as children), on Mother's Day. The red rose was to signify that your mother was living. If your mother had passed away, you wore white. It was a way to honor mothers and the many sacrifices they had made for us.
As a kid, I didn't really get it. I think I thought it was just an advertisement -- "Hey, living mom over here!" But now, I realize it was a badge of honor. More than a simple signal of the status of your mom, it was a simple way to show that we loved and cherished her.
The tradition had long ended for me, by the time my mother died. I had not worn a red rose in many years. I have never worn a white one. Nevertheless, I want to honor my mother, on this Mother's Day.
I miss her. She had an infectious laugh. She had some pretty wise counsel. She had a difficult life, in many ways. She was thrown many curves, and sometimes she swung and missed. But, you could never question her heart. She loved her children. She worked to give them a good (better) life. She was firm. Ruth did not play around with discipline! But, I never doubted her love. She loved her grandchildren. And, they were never in doubt about that! For me, she was a single parent for my teen years. My dad passed away when I was 11. I would never wish that chore on anyone. She did all she could to give me plenty of opportunities. I never thanked her enough.
Next year, on Mother's Day I am going to "wear" a virtual white rose on my Facebook page, in her honor. I won't people to know that she is gone, that I miss her, and that she was a wonderful mother.
