A Pocket Full of Posies: Keeping something tucked away for dreary days.

This week at the Friday Night Thought Tale Hour with the Henderson's, I am coming off of a few weeks where I spent some quality time with some of my kids and grandkids.

As I sang and taught the actions to "Ring Around the Rosie" several times, gleefully snapshotting for my memory every significant remark and act of my 2-year-old grandson, Deo, it got me to thinking about the 'pocket full of posies' line.

I've been told from Tour Guides in London and Wikipedia (origin of song) that it was believed that keeping a pocket full of posies would ward off the terrible sickness known as 'The Black Death" in the 1800's. Now while I've never had to ward off a life threatening disease, I have encountered some emotionally devastating times in life. These can be just as striking, and even more terrifying due to the unknowns which surround them. Hmm. Perhaps keeping our own self-designed 'pocket full of posies' can also help us to ward off being flattened by a different kind of darkness.

Gramma time.

Perhaps the ability to build up a bouquet of posies in body, mind and spirit is a key part to the character trait we humans call 'survival'. And also, perhaps the resiliency of the bouquet and our care of it lends itself to our 'fitness' to survive. But it doesn't just happen on its own.

Niko, a true character

You have to consciously put the bouquet together.

The preparation of your own pocket full of posies has to happen well before you are blasted by an unexpected challenge. Closing your eyes and making a memory during a wonderful time of festivity; Feeding your soul spiritually through meditation and prayer; Nourishing your body with health - these are all times of sprucing up your own bouquet.

It is not just stopping to smell the roses, but picking them carefully too.

My favorite little flower: Violet

Tucking them away where they can easily be found.

These posies are not of the kind that get crushed between the pages of your diary, but instead, always carried with you. Whatever you wish to call it - your heart, soul or psyche - must have that one special spot where you can reach in and find a sweet and comforting reminder of all that is good about your life. All that is still going to be there for you. 

Because only you can toss out your posies.

So on this May Day, a time when we traditionally give flowers away to our neighbors, let's toast to the metaphorical ones we will keep in tucked away. Here's to remembering that even when everything around us seems to turn to ashes, we don't have to all fall down. Here's to being one of those left standing, holding our posies. CHEERS, FRIENDS!

Joy's May Day Cocktail

2 ripe peaches, pitted and roughly chopped
1 part rum
4 strawberries, cubed
flesh and seeds of 2 passion fruit (or juice0
4 ounces cloudy apple juice or apple cider
1 Tablespoon simple sugar
2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or ginger ale
crushed ice
apple fans for garnish
Preparation:

Blend all the ingredients together with crushed ice.
Pour the mix equally into two highball glasses.
Garnish with an apple fan.