My lilac bush is planted. I think it is going to like it's new home. It is cultivated to grow in the desert, so I hope the Phoenix sun is kind and doesn't burn it before it has a chance to thrive. Plant a lilac and you plant a memory. Mention a lilac to anyone who came from the cold country and either their mother or grandmother, had one growing by their front door. This shrub has grown for centuries in various places and has not needed too much attention to burst into beautiful blossom. Their frangrance provides a special treat for the nose and nostologic thought of days gone by. Perhaps it is loved by so many as it is a reminder that winter is over and spring has came once again to their home town.When their bliiming season is done they fade quickly into obsscurity. For a generation raised to believe that beauty and youth go on forever, lilacs are a reminder of the brevity of both.
For me lilacs are reminesent of warm spring days we spent trying to see who could make the best leaf wistle. Daddy always made us whistles out of willows but they took way too much time and know how. We could grab a lilac leaf and if it didn't emit a loud clear sound it was easy to toss it and get another until we perfected the sound we liked. We had two large ones by the ranch house and one in Teasdale by the back porch. After my mother died we planted several at the cemetary by her grave. They lived with very little care but didn't get large enough to bloom. My grandparents grave had two larger plants that produced an occassional blossom. Lilacs are a lesson in patience. I planted one in Boulder and it never seemed to get any bigger. When I went back for Terry's memorial it had grown tall and was covered with fragrant blossoms. It was like seeing an old friend, who could make me forget my sorrow for a moment.
One of my best memories of Marilyn Griffin was when she invited me to come down to their house and pick lilacs. Nathella had planted them long ago. They were a high bred variety with a dark purple hue. They were lovely to look at but had no fragrance so I was a bit disappointed in them and felt the old fashioned kind were best.
Now I must await the growth on my special variety. I may not live long enough to see it bloom. but somebody will. That will be good and perhaps it can bring back good memories for the future people who pass by.
