An Irish Blessing

My mom loved flowers and birds. Birds flocked to her backyard feeders, and her roses were the envy of the neighbors. I didn't really inherit her green thumb, but I am working on putting together a small area in my backyard in her memory. It will have plants -- drought-resistant, of course -- a birdbath and this stepping stone I made. I wanted something that would remind me of my mom without being an obvious memorial. I didn't want it to look like a grave marker.

This passage comes from a poem my mom's Irish father wrote when he was a young man.

Flowery be thy pathway
And blue the sky above thee
Happiness in each coming year
To thee and those that love thee

Shortly before Grandpa died, he gave this poem to my mom. I think it was his way of saying goodbye, and it's held a special place in my heart for the past 20 years. I like to think this little Irish blessing applies in this world and the next -- whatever that might be. It helps to imagine my loved ones who have died happily walking down a flowery pathway with the blue sky overhead.