Treasures and Pleasures

It was at this point that my mouth fell open.

Both sides of the street were lined with trees a little taller than dwarf size and painted white to the middle of the trunk. Lilac trees - purple, lavender, pink, white, simple and double... My very favorite flower! Tears welled in my eyes and not unlike when you meet a loved one whom you haven't seen in a long time, I took a step closer and hugged a fragrant beauty, hiding my face into its caressing dewy eyes. And we both cried - the tree and I. Like a child discovering precious toys, I ran from one tree to another, not caring what the onlookers may think. Finally, my husband brought me back to reality, pointing out that I should be careful not to step on the delicate little flowers surrounding the trees: my other favorites - muguets...lily of the valley.

The main street, a true beehive, was already buzzing with tourists moving inside and out of the many art studios. There were sidewalks there all right, lined by beds of tulips in different arrangements and color schemes.

We took several walks during those two days and discovered story like little cottages, hidden behind colorful gardens, artists painting en plein air, sculptors working in their backyards, residents trimming their gardens. I fell in love during those two days so purely and deeply that ever since, it's enough to see or truly think of flowers to recreate in the eyes of my mind that feeling.

To date, my den is decorated with prints I purchased there and every year when the lilacs are in bloom, my florist here in Southern California alerts me to pick up a bunch. These flowers, lilacs and muguets once meant an inexpensive commodity for me, abundantly available in a far away place, light years ago. Because I liked them as a child, my aunt grew them for me in her small backyard. I never suspected that once, when it all became memory, they'd have the extraordinary power to bring back the love and wonders of my childhood, to gently guide my soul into an emotional rebirth.