It's a beautiful sunny day, petals snowing in the light breeze. so I went for a walk on the first day of May. Passed by Our Lady of the Twin Firs blessing her tulips. (That sounds better than Our Lady of the Chain Link and Trash Cans.)
Growing up Catholic and going to Catholic schools I learned early respect for authority, how to lie well, and to avoid all cults, large or small, for the rest of my life. I also leaned to love sculpture.
There were statues and relief art everywhere. At home, in the church and in our class rooms. A three foot statue on a pedestal seems life sized to a child. I'd day dream in class staring at St. Teresa in black and brown with her arms full of pink roses, the Virgin, all blues and shiny gold, St Joseph, lambs, rosaries, candles and crosses. Lots of crosses.
Each image accompanied by stories and rituals and significance. Though I know better, Magical Thinking is still my default mode. It's a great mindset for making things. I became an artist, an image maker, a sculptor.
This front yard Mary on the first day of May, her Month, brought back memories of solemn small children, each with a basket of fresh flowers, walking in two straight lines from warm sunlight into a dark, cool church. Peace.
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