Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who are moms!

Daisies happen to be one of my favorite flowers, and I always get excited when I see the multitude of oxeye daisies blooming all over the countryside around May. They seem to embody expressions of joy, childhood, and innocence. Daisies also hold special meaning for my wife and I, a symbol of our marriage. When we were about to be engaged, I prayed for a sign that my wife was the one I was to marry. No, I’m not referring to the “she loves me, she loves me not” test! What I asked for was to spot three daisies growing from one stem. A bit silly, perhaps. But about a year later, we were engaged and scouting out the site of the outdoor wedding we were planning when I received the answer I was looking for—in the middle of our path that day, growing alone from a patch in the recently mowed lawn, were three daisies, all sprouting from a single stem.

This illustration of a daisy is a study I first sketched in pencil, then inked using a Hunt Globe dip pen. I colored it using watercolor pencils.

Beyond my affection for daisies, spring is my favorite season of the year. After the cold, barren winter, the earth gives birth to new life and new hopes. A wondrous array of beautiful flowers spring forth, and everything is fresh and alive again. It is an exciting time. Let’s celebrate the bringing forth and nurturing of life this Mother’s Day and the ultimate Source of that life.

What are your favorite facets of spring? What does springtime mean to you?