This Sunday, May 1, May Day comes rolling in bright and early.

As you come into the Eastern shore area, you notice beautiful flowers everywhere! Our towns, garden clubs and volunteer community associations do an awesome job of keeping up our environment as we welcome tourists!

I remember, as a child, the fun and creativity that was put into celebrating May Day! Children have not changed over the years in their appreciation of joining in on a May Day dance. Parents, use inexpensive streamers tied at the top of a pole or slender tree, and let your young child, along with you, grab a streamer and dance clockwise or even counterclockwise to create a beautiful May Day braid.

Also, young children love to make a traditional May Day basket with real or artificial flowers.

The month of May truly focuses on family events such as Mother’s Day on May 8 and many school graduations from kindergarten to seniors in high school or college. Also, at the end of May, we have Memorial Day, when families gather together to celebrate the lives of family members who served as veterans.

When we think of families, we think of homes. Normally, our homes provide a place of refuge, security and peace, where we can let down and sense we are loved and accepted for who we are. Home is a place where a child can learn, grow and experience many different lessons to prepare them to live and adjust in our world.

Homes prepare a young child in these ways:

r Emotionally: Young children are bendable and moldable by the words we say to them.

r Learn new skills: There are so many readiness and academic lessons to be learned at home through household chores that truthfully aid in your child’s developmental learning.

r Discipline: Home provides the environment in helping a child learn to get along with his or her family and friends.

r Gifts and talents: In what better environment can a young child realize that they have certain gifts, talents and unique personalities than in the safety of their homes? Celebrating the life of your young child is so very important.

Many families in today’s world are separated by distance because of jobs, military assignments or transfers. This is especially true in relationships with grandparents and grandchildren. How can a family relationship be maintained?  Phones, letters and computers can be used to keep families in communication, helping them to listen to, support and love each other.

Beth Pinyerd lives in Daphne and serves as director of younger children at Faith Family Fellowship in Spanish Fort.

Her column appears regularly in The Bulletin.