Many of the emails I receive mention mothers. Some come from people who remember sparkleballs their mothers made and want to make their own. Other emails share photos and stories of moms and children making sparkleballs together.
One of my favorite photos is of Barb, who spent the evening with her son Stanley before he shipped out for Kuwait, making sparkleballs together. I love the slightly embarrassed look on Stan’s face and the joy in Barb’s. Taking time to make something together makes the world feel brighter. Safer. Women have known this for centuries.
Cooking, growing, sewing, and making can be acts of practical love. When mothers do any one of these things happily, they teach us that living well is interactive. It’s an art, not a purchasing program.
NYC designer Jonathon Adler was asked what had most influenced his style. He cited the light fixture made by his mom from styrofoam cups that hung over the family dining table. The same fixture now hangs over his dining table. Made by him.
Imagine that! A light fixture made of cups guiding a son’s career path!
Happy Mother’s Day.
Happy Day of Making– and Recalling– Memories.
Very nicely written and a very unique look at mothers and Mother’s Day. May I pass it on?
Absolutely. Happy Mother’s Day!
I really like this thought. How true it is that living well is an art – that’s the kind of artist I aspire to be.
I’m also interested in how a styrofoam sparkleball looks lit. Most sparkleballs are transformed by being lit, but that one seems like it might be dramatic all the time.
Let’s make one and see! This is the 2nd time I’ve heard of a styrofoam light ball, so it must have been a thing.