A garden rose in lavender.
(All pictures by Marylin WArner)
Patron Saint of Lovers
Santa Ana
Dear Mom,
In LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP, Jane Austen wrote this: “The Very first moment I beheld him, my heart was irrevocably gone.”
It’s true, isn’t it, Mom? One glance, and you can lose your heart.
I’m going to share the poem you wrote in 1990 and show our readers just how true love at first glance was in your experience.
“SHOPPING MALL ROMANCE” ~by Mary Shepherd
Surrounded by parcels I sat there,
On a bench in the shopping park mall.
I had finished my Christmas shopping
And in exhaustion feared I might fall.
I could see him coming toward me;
His eyes sought mine all the while.
I tenderly watched his quick footsteps.
He held out his arms with a smile.
I glanced at the pretty young lady
Who possessively grabbed for his hand.
Did she know what a treasure she held there?
The greatest in all our fair land.
He fell on my lap and clung to me.
I patted his plump-diapered rear:
A seventy-two-year-old grandma,
And a fifteen-month toddler so dear.
I love this poem, Mom. Every child is precious to you, and each one makes you fall in love. What a wonderful, creative way to live!
In her book, THE GIFTS OF IMPERFECTION, author Brene Brown says there is no such thing as “creative and non-creative people. There are only people who use their creativity and people who don’t.”
Thanks, Mom, for a lifetime of using your creativity. Love, Marylin
Mary’s great-grandchildren,
Grace and Gannon
Things I Want To Tell My Mother 
Very lovely.
Thank you, Kate. This is one of my favorite poems by my mother.
Dear Marylin, Thanks to you and your mother, as always . . . beautiful post. Ellen
“Sometimes we walk by faith and not by sight.” Thank you for reminding us of that, Ellen. I’m learning that sometimes we also write by faith.
Beautiful!
Thank you, Kathleen. Ah, the memories passed on through her years of writing in Kansas. I hope you’re still in the writing group and sharing stories from your life.
Oh…. I so understand. I love my children with a grand all-consuming passion. They are my best work.
Absolutely, Julia!
A wonderful poem and such a great way to introduce it. A lovely surprise in the end (a bit of a pun intended)
I remember the first time she read it to me, Rod. For the first two stanzas I was kind of surprised…but I loved the ending.
I love this!!! 👶
Thanks, Carol. This is one of my favorite poems by my mother. It says so much about her, and why I want Grace and Gannon to know more about her despite her dementia now.
As toddlers Grace and Gannon gave Mor-Mor-Mor Mary spontaneous hugs and cuddles. Even now as eight and nine year olds, they do not hesitate to do the same. Children feel welcomed and loved when near her. The poem perfectly represents Mary’s love and devout respect for all children.
It is a perfect poem about her, isn’t it. And she’s always loved her family: her husband, children, grand- and great-granchildren, nieces and nephews, siblings and their spouses…and her wonderful son-in-law, Jim. One of the highest tributes she could give, she gave to you: “Jim is such a good daddy to Molly.”
Some lady!
She really is. Even now when she isn’t sure who they are, having her great-grandchildren visit and hug her lights up her life.
This poem makes me smile! Wonderful! Today I saw little Charlie from next door splashing barefoot though the mud puddles at Scarborough Faire. He was the hit and completely upstaged the performer on stage! We laughed, and some took off shoes and joined him to celebrate mud between their toes. Great stuff!.
It takes a child to remind us of the the smell of peanut butter as well as the taste, the thrill of mud between our toes as well as amazing art we can make when we traipse across a clean floor, and how warm and hopeful and loving a spontaneous hug can be.
You need to give little Charlie a portion of the ticket sales, K. !
So sweet! I loved the twist. Toddler time is the best!
Oh, I do agree, Jenny. There’s nothing like a toddler’s wobbly walking and curious investigating–accented with the cutest smiles–to melt our hearts and have hope in the next generation.
Sitting at the breakfast table with Ishbel and just read this out to her with a tear in my eyes as I got to the end Way to go Grandparents.
I get this every time with my grand kids and at Christmas time Granddad, on his own, goes shopping with the grand kids to the local mall to supplement Santa’s gifts with that one special present they purchase with their own money for Moms and dads
Fabulous stuff Marylin, just fabulous
Thank you, Tom. You are always so generous with your praise.
I can just see you, taking your grandkids Christmas shopping to supplement Santa’s gifts. These are the memories that we–and our grandchildren–remember. “Way to go, Grandparents” is right!
As always; beautiful, warm, full of humanity and sincerity!
Thank you,
Daniela
When I reread my mother’s poetry, written in the years before the dementia, I’m always touched by the way the core of her life shines through. Thank you, Daniela.
The poem made me smile. Your mother’s creative spirit must have found a natural companion in the inherent creativity of children.
What a beautiful observation, and I think you’re right. It makes sense. Even now with the dementia, she is responsive to children, to their antics and on-going chatter, to their smiles and hugs. Her creative spirit IS drawn to theirs. Thank you!
Thank you for sharing your mother’s beautiful poem, Marylin. I love the quote by Brene Brown.
So do I, Jill. I read an excerpt of her book–she is Dr. Brown–and she had some interesting lessons and examples, but this quote stood out and really spoke to me.
A gem of a poem—thanks for sharing it :-).
You’re very welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
What a sweet poem. I enjoyed this post.
Thank you, Jennifer. Please join us again.
Beautiful.
My grandparents were both lovers of babies. Such a pure, and delightful love is rare to find. So your mom has that, too…
I often think my grandmother and your mother would have been best of friends. Certainly they would have shared a special understanding between them. (which I’m beginning to see that we also share between us)
Oh, Tracy, I think you’re right…about our mothers and about us. There is a special understanding, and there have been times when I’ve read one of your posts that I definitely felt the connection. I also think we were both raised and influenced by very special mothers.
My dad, and my maternal grandmother and granddad, were also terrific advocates of children, and each time a baby was around it was a special time for them. I had good role models.
This is such a wonderful, fun poem! I’m so glad you visited and liked my post, so I could drop in and discover you! What a great idea for a blog….
Thanks, Dianna. Please stop by again.
Marylin, the love your mother has for the little ones beams like the sun in this lovely poem. It makes me long for the days of grandchildren… that I hope are in my future. 🙂 What a sweet lady!
Blessings ~ Wendy
Oh, Wendy, you will love having grandchildren. My mother’s love for and protection and encouragement of young children does shine in her poem. Thank you.
How lovely of you to share this gem, Marylin. Being a grandmother myself, it’s the kind of love that grabs your heart and never lets go. Hugs.
I agree totally, Diana. There’s nothing quite like it. Hugs to you, too, for you kind comments.
The love contained in this piece shines out to warm us all and I just love the picture of Grace and Gannon and their little sun hats…simply beautiful post Marylin. Xx
That’s one of my favorite pictures of them, too, Jane. Now that they’re 8 and 9, they roll their eyes because I love this picture so much, but they also smile.
So wonderful that you have some of these touching pieces of your mother’s creativity that you can embrace.
Some of her writing notebooks and folders disappeared during the move from their house into assisted living, LuAnn. Now I’m nearing the end of some of her “finished” writing that is left, but it all means so much to me. Thanks for your comments.
A very big WOW!
Thank you, Liz. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I really love this entry, Marylin. Precious — and you are creating quite a legacy for your family! Love, Pammeee
Date: Sat, 25 May 2013 21:38:55 +0000 To: martc1@msn.com
Yea! Your comment did come through, Pam! I’m so glad. With all the talking and sharing we do about our mothers–yours in Arizona and mine in Kansas–whenever I post one of my mom’s poems I think about all the poetry your mother is still writing. It makes me smile when you call your mother and she says she’s written another poem, and you get a copy of it and print it for her, and extra copies for her friends at her assisted living. Our mothers are leaving legacies with their creativity!
I can imagine her laughing when she finished writing the poem, knowing how we readers would react!
Absolutely, Darla!
Or, she might also have wanted to go to the store and walk around, hoping some tired mother with a sweet toddler would be walking around, too, and Mom would get to hug a baby.
Thanks for sharing This beautiful post , There is something in my mind about your Sta Ana photo ,Beautiful 🙂
Hi, Jake.
Santa Ana is supposedly the Patron of Grandmothers and Mother-Child Relations (if you click on the picture, you can read it on her wall block), so I think she’s pretty sweet. Thanks, Jake.
Hi Marylin,
I so behind this week, but I’m here now. 🙂
I loved this heartfelt poem, and the unique twist at the end.
It surprised and made me smile. 🙂
This is one of my favorite poems by my mother for that very reason. Plus, it really does show how she has always felt about children.
I love this poem. As a grammy, I can relate. Our children – and others – are very precious.
I’m the same way, Judy. I thought being a mother was the best thing ever…and then my grandchildren came along, and I was a goner! All children are infinitely precious.
Thank you so much for sharing the beautiful poem!
You’re welcome, Amy.