After the Storm, A Rainbow

"But there will come a time, you'll see

with no more tears

And love will not break your heart

but dismiss your fears.

Get over your hill and see

what you find there

With grace in your heart

and flowers in your hair."

-Mumford & Sons, After the Storm

That song will forever remind me of my mom and the battles that consumed nearly two months of her life.  I listened to Mumford & Sons incessantly on the multiple trips back and forth from my Richmond home to my Martinsville home to my mom's temporary home - Duke University Hospital. 

It was an emotional carousel, quickly spinning in circles from questions to answers and back to questions.  Dad's quiet confidence and spiritual backbone provided comfort; yet, with each question we had, he had fifty more, firing off from cannons within his medical brain. 

As a family, we felt powerless, out of control, helpless.  All the while, through her struggles, mom was learning how to be the most powerful woman she could ever be, calmly in control and hopeful that each day would bring a new ray of sunshine, a more reassuring answer.  Her strength overwhelmed me, although I was never surprised by it. 

The album "Sigh No More" helped me to cry.  It helped me to face the nightmare in front of me, and it provided a cathartic release.  I listened to After the Storm and a few other tracks from the album today, as I had neatly tucked it away for awhile, and, to my surprise, feelings of renewal and peace overwhelmed me.  The tears fell from a different source, a peaceful source. 

Now that Mom is climbing up her hill to strength and to recovery (with flowers in her hair, of course!), there is a sense of rejuvenation, a deep breath of sorts, that fills my soul. 

The food that people made for our family also had (and continues to have) the same type of effect.  I was absolutely blown away by the outpouring of delicious meals and culinary perfection that arrived, night after night, for multiple weeks, to grace our kitchen table and warm our hearts. 

I will blog about those meals as I re-create them in the near future.  I was so inspired.

For now, I am including a divine picture of one of hubby and my breakfasts last weekend.  It fed our eyes before our stomachs, and it was an absolute joy to put together. 

To me, it is rainbow food in the best way.

Chicken-Apple Sausage Frittata

with Oranges, Avocado, and Tomatoes

~and Garlic Cheddar Cheese Grits~