On the Tenth Day of a Feminine Christmas
This is a charming illustration from artist Eloise Wilkin whose images can be found in hundreds of children’s books including many of the famous Little Golden Books. I think she was especially adept at drawing babies.
I read once about a mother who wrote to her grown married daughter that she wouldn’t be coming to her for the holidays because her ancient Christmas cactus was about to bloom for the first time in many many years. The mother was afraid she would not live long enough to see another blooming and nothing, not even Christmas and her daughter, could tear her from this rare blossoming.
I wish I could recall which mother this was (Readers, do you know?). It may have been the French writer Collette’s mother “Sido”. I read a book of letters between this mother and daughter pair a long time ago. Or perhaps it was The Letters of Madam de Sévigné to Her Daughter and Friends, another enchanting book of female correspondence.
Can you imagine telling a daughter that you will not visit at Christmas because a plant was about to bloom? I cannot. In fact, I have spent this week with my daughter who gave birth the day after Christmas to a baby who looks a little like the one in the illustration above. At least I think so!
4 Comments
Susan
I love the Eloise Wilkins illustration above — it’s from “The Night Before Christmas,” if anyone is curious — and yes, I’ve had that book for well over 30 years, since my own kids were small. Wilkins was so talented.
Tracy
My dear Mother in law loved her family first above all. She was also an avid gardener and I remember her delight in seeing her plants bloom: orchids, birds of paradise and yes, the Christmas cactus.
In my humble opinion, this segment of the story you referred to was meant to point out a fatal character flaw of the mother. If the mother knew indeed it was her last Christmas on earth, why would she forgo time with her daughter for a plant?
My Mother in law would walk through a storm to be with her loved ones. And she did, many times. She
herself was a rose in bloom.
Blessings upon you and your expanding dear family.
A Lovely Inconsequence
I love your mother in law’s ideals! And you put it so beautifully Tracy. Thank you!
Karen
Honestly, I can totally imagine that. What I can’t imagine is why the daughter can’t come to the mother? Is there some special reason she couldn’t jump in the car or take a train or a plane and make the effort to come to her mother? I imagine the mother is probably older, so it’s maybe up to the daughter to do a little of the giving and sacrifice in that relationship now. Remember the song “over the river and through the woods to grandmothers house we go”? That song says it all, as far as I’m concerned. It doesn’t say “over the river and through the woods to my granddaughter’s house I go”. It puts the onus on the younger and presumably healthier members of the family to make the effort to go and see those who are not as spry as they used to be. Call me crazy, but I’m with the mother on this one. 😉