Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Lilac Memories


Back when we were little, the lilacs coming into bloom meant that we'd pick them and bring them to our mother...there were nine kids, five of us girls, so I don't think that old lilac bush had much of a chance to get very large! (And I'm sure my mother ran out of vases!)


Lilacs, for those of you who don't have them in your area...come in many colors and are very fragrant. There are deep purple, medium purple, dark purple, white, and even pink. I'm sure there are many more varieties by now that I've not seen, but they bloom just once each year around this time of year. It's a glorious time for those of us in the northern states, starved for greenness and blooms.


My grown daughter, who's married now and lives in the deep south, doesn't have these. But oh, how she loved them when they'd bloom here. They were something she looked forward to and she would bring armloads in for the house and place them in vases in several rooms at a time.

Our bush, planted on the fencerow, was placed there as a marker for the grave of two twin boys, stillborn in this farmhouse many, many decades ago. We agreed with the only surviving family member to not disturb this huge bush. I remember one spring when we were trimming it back quite a bit, that she drove by, very slowly, straining to see what we were doing. I wasn't able to catch her, but I would have gladly run to the road so she would know that we had kept our promise to keep this bush in memory of her brothers. I'm only too happy to do it.

It's bittersweet, but wonderful to know that we can do a favor to a woman who's in her nineties who is a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother herself...making sure that her own mother's sons are respected and remembered.


(I am remembering my dad today, if he were still alive, he would be 79.)

13 comments:

winnie said...

I don´t have lilacs here wher I live. Yours are very pretty.

Eclectic Chic Style said...

Those lilacs are gorgeous and what a sweet story of the promise you've kept. Very very nice.
♥ Teresa

Unknown said...

When our kids were home we had an above ground pool with a deck all around it, I had two lilacs around the deck. When we built our family room addition the pool, deck and lilacs were removed. I don't miss the pool at all but I sure do miss my lilacs!

Parisienne Farmgirl said...

I love lilacs - between lilly of the valley and lilacs they are my favorite springtime treats.
The are so beautiful - I just have three scrappy ones but someday I dream of a 1/4 mile hedge!!!

Donna said...

We had lilacs growning up in Indiana, and just the smell of them takes me back in time, remembering the bouquets I would cut for my mom. We tried to grow some bushes here in TN, but they did very poorly and we took them out.

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

I miss the lilacs blooming in Michigan. I planted a lilac last spring here and it did not bloom this year :-(

Feedsack Fantasy said...

There is even a gorgeous yellow lilac ... lovely post. TTFN ~ Marydon

KathyB. said...

I love lilacs and now have a few that are beginning to bloom.

I also very much like the idea of a long lasting lilac marking the grave site of the little boys....a sweet reminder , and every spring one cannot help remember them as the scent of the lilac wafts over the area.

Juri said...

One of my favorite flowers is the lilac. In New Jersey I was so proud of my lilac bush and looked forward to the blooms! Here in Florida, I miss them! I can almost smell the fragrance!!! What a wonderful blog! So glad I visited today!

Ali said...

Beautiful! I love lilacs, one of my favorite flowers and a very welcome sign of spring! We have 2 small bushes that I planted when we moved in. They have purple and white striped flowers. I would like to get an heirloom bush though, that would be wonderful! It is so awesome that you have kept the old bush in memory of the twins, very meaningful.

Farmgirl Cyn said...

I just sent an e-mail concerning your sweet gift!
And yes, lilacs are wonderful! I have a small bush that is just at it's peak right now, and the lilies of the valley are also just beginning their peak. I have a hard time choosing my favorite...I love them both.
Love,
Cyn

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I just looked at your pics of Ben Franklin's! I grew up in a small town in Arkansas and we had a Ben Franklin's AND Sterling dime store both on main street! Oh what good memories!

Donna said...

I wish I could grow them here...and how sweet of you to tend the bush for the family!!hughugs