Last year on March 31, I blogged about the special holiday that my mother, my sister, and I observe each year, in honor of the children's poem we all love, by Mary Carolyn Davies: "The Day Before April."
The day before April
Alone, alone,
I walked in the woods
And sat on a stone.
I sat on a broad stone
And sang to the birds.
The tune was God's making
But I made the words.
I call or email my sister on that day, and I would give flowers to my mother, or host a little springtime party.
Yesterday was my first "Day Before April" without my mother, a poignant day for me.
But yesterday I also received an email from someone who found my last year's Day Before April blog post when she was searching for the exact words to "The Day Before April" on the Internet. Why was she searching? Because she and her sisters also grew up loving that poem and celebrate their own Day Before April holiday each year! Her sister had memorized the poem for a school program, and the whole family fell in love with it from hearing her practice.
What an uncanny and beautiful connection between two families who both built family memories around loving the same poem. . . .
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thanks for sharing a special memory spent with your dear mother and sister! I'm going to write off the poem so I can remember it with you next year!
ReplyDeleteI never heard The Day Before April but what a lovely poem and great tradition. So cool that you were comforted this year by a message from someone who also celebrates The Day Before April. I love that idea! Off I go to link to you on FB. Are you on Facebook?
ReplyDelete