heaven.
5.17.2010
as i was walking through the back yard to fetch a few herbs from the garden in my wellies, i smelled them: my gardenias blooming. this gardenia bush has been with us four years. my husband doubted its potential, as it started out scraggly and scrawny. it's lush and deep green and now filled with four blooms. oh, the blooms covered with the drops of god's rain: nectar for the earth. i love the smells of fresh blooming gardenia. add those smells with honeysuckle and wisteria and you have my grandmother's yard. papa joe's yard, too, of course. i marked my grandmother's death this past week. it's been eight years since she died. the grief is present, but changed. she was my blooming gardenia. her petals browned too, too soon, wearied by parkinson's. that's the way of gardenia when they're touched too harshly, bruised by what surrounds them. sometimes the creative moments are a mix of the bitter sweet, this one is mixed with drops of heaven and smells of etoile.
Thank you for commenting on my blog! It's great to discover your blog and twitter account.
ReplyDeleteThe gardenia picture evokes a sense-memory for me too. My high school had a blooming gardenia right outside one of the buildings, which I loved. Now I associate the smell with being a teenager and discovering the things I liked to do and the person I wanted to be. It's a good association
I think it's lovely that you can remember your grandmother this way!
angelique,
ReplyDeleteoh, i'm so glad! and thank you for following me on twitter, which led me to your blog & twitter account. so glad!
there are so many connections for me in nature & smell. i credit that to so more time growing up spent out doors than in. :)
I just discovered your blog via your comment in the Pen Pal Project on Indie Fixx... such a lovely blog, and this a sweet tribute to your grandmother!
ReplyDeletethanks so much! i'm glad that you've found my blog! and i need to get my letter over to my new pen pal. thanks for the lovely reminder! come often, and comment as often as you'd enjoy.
ReplyDeletei remember the day you told me about her passing. my heart filled with devastation and grief for you and your family. the wounds are still fresh with the loss of my grandmama, but i trust in the Lord that she is in a much better, beautiful place.
ReplyDeletei love you...more than you will ever know...as tears run down my cheeks for your loss. i will be praying for you and the family.