Peonies

"Still, in a way, nobody sees a flower. Really, it is so small, we haven't the time and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time." Georgia O'Keefe

For many years my favorite flower was the tulip. I thought they were so beautiful in their sleek simplicity. I received them in vases on birthdays and anniversaries. I picked bouquets of them up on street corners in the hustle and bustle of my city commute. I carried them in a beautiful hand-tied bouquet down a long church aisle. They were mine, my favorite flower.

 My loyalty to the flower had less to do with it's beauty and more to do with my lack of noticing any other flowers. The truth was, I never really stopped to notice any flowers, let alone smell them. I was always rushing through the day, the commute, the weekend and life in general. I did not even care much for spring as I was in too much of a hurry awaiting the summer. 

Somehow life slowed down when I had children, despite the whirlwind of it all. I played in playgrounds and backyards instead of pounding city pavements, rushing to get from here to there. I played matchbox cars in the dirt and made mud-pies with my children. Enjoying every moment, creating snapshots in my head of it all. 

My children taught me about nature with their burgeoning interests in flowers, butterflies, rocks and so on. I started to notice all of the beautiful flowers in my own yard and even learned each of their names. Hydrangeas, petunias, sunflowers and peonies. Oh my, the peonies.  

I first noticed the peony when awaiting the arrival of my daughter  during the beautiful month of June. I was so filled with joy and love that the flower enraptured me completely. When my daughter arrived, so vibrant and full of beauty I was reminded of the beautiful peony.  I knew the peony was now my flower and I would make it hers. She and I await their arrival from bud to bloom.  We cut some and place them in vases in our house. There truly is something so calming and invigorating about walking into a room where there are fresh cut flowers sitting on a table. Especially when it is my favorite flower, the peony.