May. It’s a month we all know and love for flowers (thank you, April Showers), and know and love too for that special day each year when many of us bring or send those flowers to Mom! Yes, May is famous for our celebration of flowers and women. Quite the dynamic duo.
Maybe it all starts with celebratory flowers when baby is born. Before long, those babes are starfish-fingered pre-schoolers earnestly drawing flowers with fat crayons and all their love. Mommy is their world. A little older, a little more independent, elementary school-aged children and pre-teens still sign their cards with hearts and flowers. But they’re, perhaps, a little more careful when they color, trying hard to stay inside the lines on their construction paper while testing lines and boundaries elsewhere. Mom may be cool one day, annoying the next. Teen years are a challenge for most parents–forget flowers, moms are often just grateful to be given the time of day! But, come college and after, smiles return. And so do the flowers. Circle of life stuff, my friends.
From my slightly clichéd meditations on motherhood above, to others’ somewhat more provocative inferences regarding women and flowers, connections between the two abound. Christian Dior is quoted as saying After women, flowers are the most divine creations. And who has not blushed, even slightly, at Georgia O’Keeffe’s resplendently feminine floral paintings?
Extending the metaphor, I suggest you think of this issue of Inside Armonk as a hothouse for exceptional blooms! Yes, the women we highlight on our cover and inside the issue are each unique and special. They’re mothers, daughters, sisters, wives. They’re friends, they’re co-workers, they’re women of courage, inspirational yet often very humble about all they’ve done and all they do.
In fact, speaking of our cover story, who doesn’t love a hero? Or, in this case, four dashing local SHEroes! Volunteers all, these wonder women serve in Armonk’s combined fire and ambulance service (one of only nine such combined services in the county) with the singular goal of helping others. They may not leap tall buildings in a single bound, but then again, they’re not comic book characters, but, rather, the real deal! And that’s our kind of superhero. All hail!
Helping others was young Arielle Levy’s goal too. As she prepared to become a Bat Mitzvah (that milestone event in a Jewish girl’s life as she transitions to adulthood), this graceful young woman decided that her lifelong love of dance could serve as a lifeline to others less fortunate. She gave of herself, and asked others to give on her behalf, as she worked with local schools to help create and sustain a dance program for children with special needs.
Treasures Thrift Shop volunteers are a committed crew too. Their purpose? To re-purpose clothing, jewelry, furniture, books, dvds and useful and decorative household items. A fixture in town since 1968, this St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church fundraising shop is a regular stop for so many. From those-in-the-know locals to antiques dealers who come often from far and wide, people hope to discover hidden treasure at Treasures. And very often, they do.
What else? Well, let’s not forget that May is also the month in which we honor, salute and celebrate the men and women who serve and have served our country. The stars and stripes fly high as American Legion Post 1097 hosts the annual Memorial Day Ceremony. The Byram Hills High School band plays patriotic music, names of memorialized soldiers are read, wreaths are laid and an invited speaker shares insightful thoughts and stories. It’s a moving and memorable event and all are most welcome to attend and show support.
Speaking of memorial observances, I too pause and reflect as this holiday approaches. Two years ago, I lost my father right after Memorial Day. A veteran, as well as a man who fought a brilliant fight against the horribly debilitating disease Parkinson’s, dad was inspirational to the end.
So, as we head into May, and its alliterative M-holidays, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day, I want to wish everyone a marvelous month! Tell mom how much you love and appreciate her. If you’re having trouble finding just the right card, may I suggest turning to our Et Cetera page and taking a tip from Dan Levitz’s homage to his mom. Even if you’re not inspired to put pen to paper (or tap a keyboard on your preferred device), at the very least I promise you’ll smile. And sharing a smile is as great a gift as any. Especially if you bring flowers too.
Peace, Beth