Decoration Day by Glenna West Clutts Decoration Day had come again the Ozark mountains. This was the one day of the year with which the young and old looked forward to with a smile. What seemed as a simple memorial day for decorating graves of deceased loved ones, had a much deeper meaning to the people living in the Ozark mountains. Days, weeks and sometimes months of planning led up to this special day. The ladies of the community would make plans months ahead for the types of flowers and greenery that they would order so as to put together just the right floral arrangement for each and every loved ones grave. They always ordered a few extra to place on the unmarked grave. This was the way of country people. Life was celebrated and death was remembered with respect, no matter the person that lay beneath the carefully disturbed soil. A couple of weeks before Decoration Day, each grave was cleaned and prepared with much love and care. The whole community took part. Some graves had headstones filled with lavishly engraved words, pictures and symbols while others had nothing but a simple rock to distinguish the deceased person’s life. These rocks or markers gave no clue to the life or death of the occupant. Walking among these unmarked graves, I couldn’t keep from wondering about the lives of these people, and believed their stories would equal or exceed the greatest movie made in Hollywood. Children would help their mothers work for hours upon hours intertwining the flowers, greenery and wire that held each arrangement together. Tissues and crepe paper were carefully folded, fluffed and dipped in wax. The color, texture, and shape were specially designed for each loved one’s grave. Teenagers were taught this art of remembering. The art has long since been forgotten and replaced by store bought arrangements from the local Wal-Mart. Finally, the long anticipated day came. Children, filled with excitement, scrambled out of bed early, much to the dismay of their mothers who were busy packing their newly formed floral creation for the ride to the cemetery. 2 The flowers were only a small part of the duties of a country wife and mother. One of the main jobs of the day was the preparation of the noon meal for not only her own family but for the many, many others that would stop by to sample her creations and therefore make a judgment on this overworked, under-appreciated country lady’s abilities. The right mixture of spices in a pumpkin pie could be the talk of Sunday afternoon potlucks for a year as could the misjudged consistency of the chicken and dumplings. This could bring embarrassment for weeks to come. A country woman’s worth could be determined by the quality of the meal that she brought to share at the twelve o’clock meal on Decoration Day. Although unfair, this was the way in the Ozark mountains. Therefore, much care was taken in packing the food in boxes and containers for the long journey and bumpy ride along rough country dirt roads. Each child was given a special dish to hold in his or her lap. Any mishap would be double or triple jeopardy. Not only would the food be lost, but the dress that mama had worked so hard to make in the wee hours of the night would be ruined as would the impression made on old as well as new friends that you might make that day. Mama held the most prized dish of all. This was carried as if caring for a new born baby. This could vary from fresh picked blackberries made into a mouthwatering cobbler or a platter of corn on the cob dripping with sweet churned butter that had been picked from the dewy garden early that morning. At lunch, the ladies would spread a brightly colored tablecloth on the rickety wooden tables, which were built in long straight rows. You planned ahead so your food would be spread next to your best friend’s meal. This was a very special social event for the ladies of the community. Recipes were shared. Local gossip was whispered and the unannounced judgment on the food which lined the tables was begun. People from communities miles around came together on Decoration Day. Often a person met third and fourth cousins and aunts and uncles that they only got to see this one time a year. Children often got to meet their parent’s first grade teacher or best childhood friend. Children got a lesson in history on this day that could never be matched in a history book. 3 The men sat around and whittled on a broken twig that they picked up off the ground. The smell of cedar filled the air as the masters pulled their own personalized creations from their pockets and took up where they had left off last time. Whittlers could go for hours without talking. But when they did open their mouths, the small children gathered around on the ground to listen as the old men started talking about “the good old days.”. The little ones’ eyes got bigger and bigger as the stories got wilder and scarier. Ladies were chattering over the noon meal. Men and children were preoccupied with tales of long ago. But the teenagers—Oh, the teenagers!--this was the day that they had been looking forward to for a year. This was when many a future was begun. Teenagers were especially excited. Possibilities of a lifetime opened up on this day. What seemed to some as a very depressing day to remember the loss of their loved ones, was to others, a celebration of the future. In fact, it was a rare glimpse into the future as well as the past of many that were there. Few would outwardly acknowledge this day with as much anticipation as the youth. The day for them had begun weeks ago with the preparation of just the right dress. Hours were spent mulling over which was the right color, fabric and fit. There were many discussions between teenage girls about which boy they would sit beside or who was going to talk to who. The boys were just as excited to see how the girls had blossomed during the year. Normally, a person doesn’t think of a cemetery when they think of a casual stroll with a new boyfriend. But Decoration Day was the exception. Many summer romances were started on this day, some of which lasted a lifetime. This was the one time that parents weren’t so concerned about their son’s or daughter’s choice of friends. Everyone there knew everyone else. They knew their parents, their grandparents and any family secrets that had been hidden away. Everyone present had a lot in common. Most were in the same economic bracket, lived the same life style and were of the same religious belief with only a few variations. Decoration Day was more or less safe ground for all concerned and the teenagers made the most of it. If a girl was lucky, a boy would ask if he could sit beside her next Sunday in church, If the boy was lucky, she would invite him home for Sunday dinner. Thus, futures were made on Decoration Day. 4 The graves were decorated. The noon meal was spread as eloquently as wooden tables and red and white checkered table cloths would allow. The preacher of the local church gathered everyone around the noon meal as it was prayed over. A peaceful silence fell over the crowd. Everyone filled their paper platesfrom a buffet line with food as fine as any expensive restaurant could offer. They drank lemonade from plastic ups and enjoyed each other’s company for the remainder of the day. Good food. Good friends. A beautiful day. Thus another Decoration Day had come and gone in the Ozark mountains. Glenna West Clutts lives on the banks of Taneycomo in Branson, and teaches in Hollister. She writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry. She is a member of OWL Writers League. Her story "A Life for Sale" appears in this issue of Sweetgum Notes. Copyright © 2006. Do not reproduce without permission.

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