Thursday, June 21, 2012

In the Spring of the Year You Were Born. . .

Dear Little Anne,

The spring of the year you were born was a beautiful spring. In March, the winter winds faded and green mists draped the branches of the trees and crept into the brown earth, whispering words of life to it. Soon, millions of tiny flowers and baby grass stems pushed their way up through the dirt to see the sunshine, which smiled on them.

In the spring of the year you were born your brothers were little boys and every day they would stop their rough boy-play to press their ear against my belly, where you were growing into a beautiful woman-child. Sometimes you would move and they would feel you move and they would ask me how much longer it would be until you were born. Your influence on your brothers was gentling and tender, even though you were not here yet.

In the spring of that year your brothers loved to look for flowery things; in the clipped green yard, in the herb garden, in the pastures where the grasses were allowed to grow tall and wild. They would bring me their findings with smiles and quiet words of wonder at each delicate stalk, or thin-veined petal. They asked if you, too, would like flowers. And I felt you move in my belly, and I said yes.

So they spent one morning in that spring looking for perfect flowers for you. From the ones they brought to me we chose the prettiest and pressed them between books; books that your brothers love and that maybe you will love too, someday, when you read them.

For weeks we let the flowers press until one day in early summer we took the books down and opened them to find the little blossoms ready for you. Your brothers carefully arranged them and glued them to paper and we put them into frames to hang on the wall in your room.

Now they ask me, how much longer will it be, Mommy, until our little Anne is here?

Not much longer, I say. Before the summer ends.

They tell me they miss the spring, and are sad you were not here to see it. But for you, they have preserved a little piece of it; these flowers from the spring of the year you were born. Because every princess needs flowers to pave the way for her arrival. These are yours.

Love,
Your Mommy

9 comments:

  1. I love reading your blog for the costumes, but this entry was so entirely full of love, sweetness, and awesomeness, that it made me tear up. I can very well see that the young one is already loved. Such a great and poignant sentiment throughout this entry. Best wishes! :)

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  2. Very sweet. And such a lovely room!

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  3. This is probably the sweetest blog post I've ever read. <3

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  4. that is such a lovely decorating idea!

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  5. such a beautiful entry... So poetic and full of love. Your baby is a lucky little girl to be coming in a such a sweet and loving family.

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  6. What a beautiful letter to your little daughter. Someday she will treasure it!

    And the pressed flowers are so lovely.

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Thank you for your lovely thoughts!