My backyard looks kind of peppy this morning. Even though we have close to drought conditions here in Morris, my lawn looks green and healthy. Dawn finds the sparrows flittering around the birdfeeder while robins hop here and there occasionally pulling hidden nightcrawlers out of the grass. Even St. Francis over there, caught in the act of preaching to the birds, seems brighter — and I think I know why.
Mary Kay’s Flowers
Near the white fence that encloses my yard, bright yellow lilies cluster around the statue of the saint and set it off as if they were decorating both sides of an altar with Francis as the santo. This feature is the work of Mary Kay Golimowski who is the gardener for my yard and the nun’s yard which is next door to my home. I can still see her kneeling next to Francis and carefully pulling weeds that had grown among the lilies. She died unexpectedly a few days ago.
Mary Kay, the gardener, brought quiet and kindness to those who knew her. When you were around her you felt a sense of peace and order, a kind of gentleness that would set that moment apart from the untidiness and noise that adorns most of our days.
Those lilies that seem so warm and joyful this morning were not yet blooming when I last saw Mary Kay down on her knees tending to them. The buds began opening last Thursday when she entered the hospital for a somewhat routine valve replacement. Three days later she passed away there and my lilies began to blossom
Each year when I again see the creamy yellow flowers around St. Francis, I will remember the woman who graced my garden and my life.
This is so beautiful. It’s been a month today since we lost my sister Mary Kay. She loved working in the garden and helping others like Sr Debora and Sr Christina with their gardens. She was a beautiful person and you captured her well in this piece.
I’m glad you found my page on Mary Kay. I live in the house next to the Sisters and since my legs fail me these days, Mary Kay was keeping my little flower garden, too. As I sat outside in my backyard this morning, the flowers reminded me again of her kindness. Thank you, Father Jerry Watt, C.R.