may the three

You made up this holiday in 1971 – less than one month after we married.

There is really no way to explain this day without sounding like the spoiled wife that I was.

On May 3, 1971, I wasn’t speaking to you.  I was crushed…heartbroken… and certain we were headed for divorce, when you forced the reason for silence from my tear soaked heart.

May 1st – May Day – was a big deal to the women in our household.  We made may baskets for all the ladies in the neighborhood with flowers and candies and other goodies we had collected from Woolworth’s.  And, some of the ladies returned the favor each year with a may basket (usually made from heavy paper) with flowers and candy from Robbie Stacey and trinkets from Jean Feltus and Bible Versus and bookmarks from Mrs. Bowman.  It was an excitement to me as the doorbell rang and Mom and I ran to catch the anonymous giver.  We never did, but we knew their handiwork after a few years and they knew ours.  What fun it was to see some of the neighborhood door knobs boasting a colorful paper funnel with lilacs and roses and daisies and chocolates and ribbons.

And, so here we were.  Newly married and the love of my life, you, with no May basket for me – your pregnant bride.  I was devastated as I questioned you, “how could you forget me on MAY DAY“?  I didn’t understand as you explained to me that you had never heard of this tradition.  Why, I couldn’t believe my ears.  If Mom celebrated this holiday every year, then surely everyone else in the country did as well.  Yeah, I was a little naive.

After a few hugs and calming reassurance that we were not headed for divorce on May 3rd, you left in the car and returned with three beautiful roses – just roses – in a simple glass vase with a card reading “Happy May the Three“.  Every year after, I got a simple little vase with three beautiful roses with the little card.  And every year that I received it at whatever office I was working, I had to relay the story of our May Day.  And then, I had to listen to the sighs and comments about how spoiled I was as I smiled inside, not feeling the least bit guilty about celebrating May the Three.

so, happy May the Three, honey.