Ellen Gable St. Richards Parish | Plot Line and Sinker (Ellen Gable, Author)

Please join me and other Catholic bloggers at This Ain’t the Lyseum for Seven Quick Takes Friday.

I have always enjoyed the month of May. It happens to include some family birthdays, a holiday, my wedding anniversary and, of course, May is the month of Mary.

Here are a few of the reasons I love the month of May:

1. May is Mary’s month. When I was a child in Catholic school, each May the entire school and parish took part in the May procession. One 8th grade female student was chosen as May Queen to crown the statue of Mary. When my mother was 13, she was chosen to be May Queen at St. Richard’s School in Philadelphia. Years later, when we were living in Philadelphia and attending the same parish and school, my sister was also chosen to be May Queen in 1971. The photo below is of my mother as May Queen (1947).

2. May is usually a great weather month. After the long winter we had, I look forward to May’s spring weather.

3. May is a month of birthdays. I’ve shared before that my youngest son was my favorite birthday present 16 years ago. Besides my son’s birthday and my birthday, there are numerous other relatives who have birthdays in May.

4. May is the month of our anniversary. One of the reasons my husband and I chose May for our wedding 33 years ago is because it is the month of Mary, but also because May usually brings good weather. Again, ‘usually’ is the key word here. It rained the entire day of our wedding so most of our photos had to be taken inside. However, as the reception was winding down to a close, the photographer approached us. He said that the weather was clearing and asked us if we would like to pose for a few photos outside. When we walked outside, we were astonished to see a huge patch of bright light in the distance. It’s not evident from this photo because it was around 8:00 p.m., but the weather had turned quite beautiful. I took it as a sign from God that truly “bright days were ahead.”

5. May is the month of Mother’s Day. I have always tried to honor both my mother and mother-in-law. My mother has been gone for nearly eight years, but I still remember her daily in prayer. We usually treat my mother-in-law to dinner at a restaurant. As a mother myself, I have always enjoyed receiving home-made, creative gifts from my sons and have treasured these special mementos. The photo below is of me and my mother.

6. May includes a three-day weekend. Up here in Canada, the third Monday is Victoria Day, which is a holiday similar to Memorial Day in the USA. We usually celebrate by barbequing and enjoying a day off. It’s the unofficial start to summer (I say unofficial because up here in Canada, anything is possible in terms of weather…I have seen snow flurries on one or two previous Victoria Day holidays).

7. Mother’s Day Cartoon