Earlier this week, I attended a May Crowning at my children’s parochial school. My daughter and her classmates processed, with startling solemnity, towards a statue of Mary, crowned her with flowers, and recited prayers and petitions from the garden bed at her feet. A huddle of parents — mostly mothers — stood watch under the shade of tree, nodding encouragingly as their children recited their prayers. I was tossed back to my own childhood, to singing “Hail Holy Queen” on Massachusetts Avenue as I marched with my classmates into the vestibule of Annunciation Church with my gray plaid jumper and my navy blue Mary Janes. Even as a child, I was struck by the holiness of the tradition. Something about moving from the shock of May sun into the cool of the Church’s nave, the way sound traveled differently inside, marked the offering as sacrosanct. From the unkempt wild to the quiet, cosseting pleat.
So there I stood, some thirty years later, listening to my daughter read her benedictions off a laminated piece of construction paper. When the children recited the Hail Mary, and the parents chimed in, I caught sight of a cross-generational accordion of faith, and found myself unable to finish the prayer. I was thinking about my mother, kneeling and weeping at Mount Koressos, and my own special devotion to Mary, and wondering what my daughter was storing about this moment in her secret wells of imagination, and memory, and faith.
Towards the end of the crowning, one of the teachers read a little card from which she described Mary as “a joyful witness of others.” I thought how perfectly the phrase captures not only Mary as we understand her forbearing yet exuberant spirit, but my broad aspirations as a mother. Isn’t it the goal? To stand alongside my children, but not in some prop-like, self-abnegating way — to be roundly present, and let myself be delighted by them. I looked around at all of the mothers circling that garden bed, beaming at their children and participating in their prayers, and I saw a perfect chaplet of joyous witness.
Post-Scripts.
+A reflection on my grandfather.
Shopping Break.
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+OMG! This chic embroidered caftan reminds me of the super expensive ones from La Vie Stylehouse, but a fraction of the price!
+This gorgeous white dress is en route to me. Becoming quite the fan of Rixo — their dresses make me feel like a sexier, more European version of myself. (You might recall how much I love this dress, which I wore recently!)
+Two great new arrivals at J. Crew: this dress and this impossibly chic raffia tote.
+Speaking of raffia, this COS steal is distinctly Khaite-like. (Compare with her — 13x the price!)
+Adorable shorts set for your mini.
+Several Magpies have raved about Quince’s fitness wear — I just ordered these leggings and the matching tank to try when I placed my order for their silk pillow case. (Another Magpie rec — so many of you insisted that sleeping on a silk pillowcase is a major step-up for hair care / extending a blow out / etc. See all the rave reviews in the comments on this post.) Will report back on all!
+Speaking of hair care: devotees of Crown Affair products might be excited to try their brand new texturizing mousse.
+Eyeing one of these soft-sided coolers for summer. (Love the green color.)
+If you’re looking for a perfect summer flat: here she is.
+FUN Gucci tote capitalizing on the “jelly” trend in its own way.
+Apparently, Jones Road releases limited edition sets of their popular miracle balm sets, and they’ve just landed. I’m contemplating ordering this set of four to sample the different colors! Have heard such good things about these.