early mother's day morning

Mother's Day morning...

I could sleep in, since our children had plans to make breakfast.

Lemon scones dripping with lemony glaze, a beautiful fruit plate and hot scrambled eggs.

Food of kings.

( ♥ Thanks you3, for a wonderful Mother's Day! ♥ )

But instead of sleeping in, at 4:30 a.m. I was woken by noises from outside;

the sound of instruments growing louder by the moment.

And I remembered the festival of the patron saint of the neighborhood.

I was now wide awake, 

listening to the band's notes ebb and flow 

as they wended their way up and down the neighboring streets.

 I went up to the deck with my camera, hoping to catch them again.

But for a long time it was only me

and the birds

welcoming the dawn.

Finally, at 5:30, the notes grew louder, and I knew they'd be passing by soon.

But it wasn't a marching band this year,

no candles,

no following parade,

 

just a group of enthusiastic guys in the bed of a truck;

guys who obviously hadn't thought of sleeping in on Mother's Day!

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; 

In the morning I will order my prayer to You 

and eagerly watch.  

Psalm 5:3

But God sent them to wake me 

so that instead of ushering Mother's Day in with more sleep,

I could rise,

and in a quiet place give thanks for my own sweet mother,

now at home in Glory,

for my mother-in-law who has always shown me such love,

and for this privilege of being a mother, 

for the gift I have in parenting these three gifts of God together with Mark. 

I am eternally grateful.

♥

I do hope you weren't woken quite as early as I, 

and that you had a wonderful Mother's Day, too!