Saturday, March 20, 2010

~What's In A Name?


I was recently asked"why peonies? Well here is the story of my Grandmother. When I was a little girl my Grandmother would take care of me during the day while my Mom worked. She lived in a log cabin that once belonged to my Great Grandmother. In the late morning she would wash her long white hair & go sit under a canopy of trees. It was always about 10 degrees cooler under there. So she loved to sit in her old green & white chair napping the morning away.Letting the cool breeze dry her hair. All around us was my Great Grandmothers garden. Old fashion roses, paper whites, sweet-peas, lilacs, lilies...& so on. Down one side of the garden was along stretch of peonies. I remember the smell of them drawing me to them. I would beg Grandma to let me pick them. I wanted them around me all day. She would tell me no saying that it would bring ants into the house. But, still I would beg for for them. One day she looked at me & said " you know you remind me of the pink peonies. They are soft, feminine, romantic & mysterious. Not like a rose which is also lovely but, can be too formal & stuffy. People see a rose and just see beauty never thinking that it comes with a price of the thorns. Peonies are more friendlier. That is how you appear to the world. But, you also have a second flower. We all do & yours is The Lily of the Valley. A small sweet flower that blooms only during your birthday in May. This flower is more fragile & delicate. This is the part of you that only a few special people get to see. This flower can be almost shy hiding under a bush but, when you find it it's magical. A white light in a dark place. This is the hopefulness you have inside you. These are your flowers. When you see them know that they bloom for only you."

Now you know my story...So what is your secret flowers?

2 comments:

BonjourRomance said...

Bonjour,
Your grandmother sounds like a lovely lady, such sweet words. I love peonies too, just so so elegant.
Happy Sunday to you,
Mimi

Unknown said...

Such a touching story - she must have been a very special + wise lady! xo