Category Archives: Eclectic Mix

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How You are Like a Lilac Bloom

There’s Something About a Lilac Bloom

An analogy could be made about lilacs and life and how they fit together. You see, it takes many single lilac petals to form one lilac spray, and then those sprays multiply on branches and then collectively on bushes. There are many parts to the one whole, and they all individually serve as a compliment to one another for a shared purpose.

We as individuals can relate to their beauty and essence.

Our moments in life are much like a lilac bush in full bloom. How we relate as humans on a shared planet unites us in the big picture. We may feel insignificant, but that is not the case. Each individual petal makes a difference.

Your life has a purpose that only you can fulfill, but your life relates to the rest of us because we are in this together.

Lilacs are delightful blossoms made up of star-shaped florets gathered together in a burst of lavender bloom. Their fragrance is an over-powering sensation that drifts in the air on a slightly warm spring day. Their radiance fills in the space with a rich sweetness.

A season does not disappear before I clip a few lilac sprays.

I search to find my trusty red clippers. Then I look over the lilac bushes, my eyes searching for the perfect blooms, ones that are full and don’t have dry brownish edges or tight unopened star-tips.

Bees buzz and hover around me, making the most of the petals’ offerings.

I make my selections and then, snip-snip. Once they are clipped, I trim off any unwanted stems or leaves. Now the blooms are ready. I arrange the lilacs in a royal blue, glazed vase that sets off their beauty. The lilacs will grace my dining room table to enliven the room.

Their intoxicating rich scent and enchanting delicate beauty will create beauty.

Lilac plants are gentle, unassuming flowering bushes and are hearty stock. They require minimal care, no fuss or special treatment. They are like some of us.

My life is like one tiny star blossom, one seemingly insignificant floret. 

I am one of many, like one floret of the many florets that make up a complete bloom. The people I meet touch me, and I touch them, like a hundred florets bunched in a ribbon of glory, breathtaking at times when they are in full bloom. Not fancy, just pretty and useful.

Each small lilac petal is like a life, like my life and your life.

Human interactions have a purpose with a loveliness of their own. When we look at a bush full of lilac blooms, we see a thing of beauty. Yet lilacs would be nothing without the root. They would be nothing without the stem. They would be nothing without their leaves; and they would be nothing without water, sun, or nourishment. All components are essential and necessary for life and are needed for lilacs to exist and live.

The lilac will not have the capacity for beauty unless certain conditions are met.

The same is true for us as well.

In the human realm, God is the ultimate nourishment for a life of beauty, one that produces and radiates fragrant loveliness. The roots absorb the nutrients. That is the way I see God and how He refreshes the inner self. He provides the spiritual nourishment we as humans need to live a healthy spiritual life. I also see God in the sun and sunshine, in the energy force that is needed for life to exist.

Living beings, plants, animals, and humans in this created world are creatures of commonalities.

The natural world is replete with examples of life-giving qualities. It continually replicates and reproduces an energy flow that empowers all living things and it is an essential necessity for life to exist.

My life may not be much in the grand scheme of things.

What I offer is not prestigious or unusually gifted; but like one miniature star floret, my life is one life that can be a blessing to others. You and I have a beauty of our own that each of us can share with those we meet. We may be one of many, but that means little in the scheme of things. We all have something to give.

Shine brightly where you are planted, and I will do the same.

Bloom like a lilac.

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My 2016 in Review, the Happy Times

What were the bright spots in 2016? It’s good to look back and recall them. Set aside the hard parts for a few moments to concentrate on the blessings. I challenge you to review your activities and the insights you gained in the process.

Probably the highlight of the year for me was my trip to Whidbey Island in Washington State. I got to visit with relatives, spend time with my son and tour his navy base, ride a ferry, join up with dear friends, visit my sister’s gravesite in Stayton, Oregon, eat wonderful foods wherever I traveled, and experience the restoration of a broken friendship that I had prayed for a long eight years (the sorrow I reference in my book). This brought peace and relief to a dark spot in my heart and now I am free from its burden. Along the way, through northern Cal, Oregon, and Washington, I saw beautiful countryside and had glorious thoughts. A lot was packed into a short period of time.

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Another highlight was a visit with my kids and grandchildren in Colorado. It was a lovely, relaxing time…and I learned something. I challenged myself to be ‘present’ rather than in my writer mode…and it worked! I set aside the busy thinking and just enjoyed my time by getting off the electronics, skipping the writing…and blogging, and focusing my energy on family. What joy! There, also, I enjoyed driving through the countryside with my kids on our way to and from a pumpkin patch an hour away, where my grand children had loads of fun and I noticed the differences between Coloradans and Californians. The countryside looked different than other parts I’ve seen before. Loved it!

Then there was experiencing downtown Colorado Springs after dusk as my third son and I enjoyed a break in the action at a delightful hole in the wall coffee shop with orthodox leanings and run by a monastery. It was unique, the decor, rustic and quaint, flavored with walls of books that compelled me in my pursuit of deepening faith. We drove past an ice skating rink and enjoyed the lights of the city as we talked about important matters and what is going on in our lives. I got to be a mom again, and it felt good.

Last but not least, 2016 ushered in a new way of caring for my folks as our roles and contact with each other has changed, with me becoming more of a support person in a caregiving role. I find that my joy is found in making them happy as best I can. A smile in greeting, a hug in passing, even a kiss on the forehead before I leave, come as a sign of warmth shared between us that springs forth from the love we share. I am needed in a different way than before and it has had a sharp learning curve. Helping my folks out has caused me to change in my thinking and perceptions…always a good thing to grow. Thursdays are the best. I cook a hot dish, go get my mother at assisted living, take her to the home place in the country, watch mom and dad visit together at the kitchen table while I put a lunch together. It is a happy time and feels like a party because it brings back old times. Routines have changed and my writing has taken a back seat.

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Contact with my siblings has benefitted from this for we have come together as often as the need presents itself. A year ago both our folks were in rehab facilities, which is where we as a family celebrated Christmas as an extended family. We’ve spent more time talking with each other on the phone and in each other’s presence than ever before in our adult years. My love, respect, and appreciation for them goes deep. They are the best and quick to state their appreciation for me and each other. They’ve come by airplane, train, and car, several times over in 2016. How their actions bless me and deeply meets a need in me, more than they will ever realize. We’re connected at the heart and that is a great gift.

In many respects, 2016 was one of the harder years to get through–which I’m choosing to ignore as I write this–but there were the joys, and I celebrate them.

God is good.