Coming up roses

I just returned from a short vacation with my Mum. We were in Chiang Mai for five days, four of which were spent with Auntie S. who flew up from Bangkok to see Mum. Auntie S. (AS for short) and Mum had not seen each other for about 20 years and it was time for catching up and reminiscing, filled with laughter and serendipitous fellowship.

They had met because their husbands met as Rotarians in the 70s and bonded. It's uncanny how alike their husbands and domestic situations were, and are. Both are now widows and have found a new lease on life. Their marriages were not easy, by any standard, and would have dissolved in present times for not many women today would put up with what they did. It takes women of rare courage and perseverance, women of faith, to remain true to their marriage vows in spite of all the heartaches and indignities they had to suffer.

I salute both my Mum and AS for sticking it out all the way, especially because both of them were capable women who could've fended for themselves quite easily. So staying put was a choice they each made through the turbulent seas of marriage.

I see the hand of God in their lives then, and especially now. Despite "having gone to hell and back many times" (as AS's daughter S. put it), they remain active, life-giving, cheerful and content with whatever each day brings. Women of age, gracious and wise, radiating with inner beauty. Women who give thanks for the fruit they gather in their lives, while they themselves are rare blooms appreciated by those who know them.

Chiang Mai is known as the "Rose of the North". Nestled in the cool, verdant Himalayan foothills, the city is alive with a rich heritage infused with a pot pourri of hill tribe cultures. The ancient Lanna capital is also the site of the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek 2006, a world-class, three-month long horticultural exposition that commemorates the diamond jubilee of His Majesty’s ascension to the throne. Not only was Bhu Ping Palace, the royal winter residence, abloom with roses, but the grounds of the expo were a glorious profusion of flora and fauna. It was an apt meeting place for old friends to come together and swap life stories over bowls of delicious khao soi*, mango sticky rice and excellent local coffee.

The ability to appreciate the fleeting fragrance of life's roses while discounting the thorns is one I hope to emulate. This vacation was not just a colourful cultural or horticultural experience, but one that was an affirmation of womanhood.

* a Northern Thai specialty of noodles served in a spicy curry gravy