My Mom Loves White Roses

Its almost May! Aside from the number of birthday celebrations in our family on this month, there is Mother's Day.  Back in College, every weekend is Mother's Day for me.  I make it a point to drop by Macy's along Grove at UPLB to get my mom a white rose before going home to Manila.  My mom loves white roses.  It is the one thing that she loves that I remember even after she has gone.  A bouquet of white roses was the sign she asked from God before she said "yes" to my dad's proposal to marry.  Although she welcomed red roses on certain occasions, white roses always made a big difference.

I came to love white roses too because of my mother's fondness for it.  White roses are so delicate that its condition shows how much you are cared for.  I know this because it is not easy commuting by bus from UPLB to Alabang with a white rose in one hand and a large backpack full of dirty laundry.  The joy and fulfillment of handing it intact and still beautiful to my mom is priceless.  The glow on my mom's face and the bright smile she would give out the moment she receives the white rose is a fond memory I keep in my heart.  At times I would dig deep into my memories to recall that smile when I miss her terribly.

I stumbled upon this picture of a white rose we brought to my mom's tomb on her death anniversary and remembered that tomorrow is April 26, my mom's birthday.  Happy birthday mom!  We miss you so much!  May you be in a garden of white roses up there in heaven on your birthday.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Although a white rose is known to symbolize purity, innocence and secrecy; early traditions used it to symbolize true love.  It also symbolizes young love and is known as the bridal rose.

For funerals, the white rose symbolizes honor and reverence...or the beginning of a new life.