Almost four years ago, when we had just moved cross country from WA state to Northern VA, one of the first things I did was go to the nursery and purchase a lilac shrub to plant in our yard.
There are certain flowers and plants that just make a house and yard feel like HOME. Lilac with its beautifully fragrant shower of blooms has always been near the top of that list for me.
And so I dug, and planted, and watered, and nurtured and fertilized.
And waited.
Sure my blooms would arrive and all the sweat, perseverance and love would pay off.
And...
my lilac shrub caught a disease and limb by limb withered, browned and shriveled before my eyes.
Sadness and confusion.
I studied and researched online all about my lilac to try to find a cure.
Turns out the only solution was to cut the lilac completely back...to the ground...and it "might" reemerge at some point.
Chances are it was gone for good.
And so, I did what needed to be done and said au revoir to my beautiful lilac shrub.
I moved on to other plants and flowers in the garden that I had easier success with. Every now and again I would think of buying another lilac shrub to replant but thought...
why should I when it will probably just die too?
And so, life moved one...I made our house a home with other growing things and checked back into that empty spot where the lilac once stood and saw...
nothing year one...
nothing year two...
I don't know exactly why, but the spot remained bare and I never did replant anything there.
and then year three...
a small green shoot appeared out of the ground in the very spot where my lilac had been planted.
I thought...
probably a weed...but...
and I just let it grow...unattended, self directed, self nutured.
and then year four...
All on its own...
my beautiful lilac shrub sprouted its lovely green leaves and fragrant blossoms.
Showing off its strength for all passerbys to see.
I'd love to say that I had faith the entire time...that I never gave up on that lilac shrub...
instead I'll say...
lesson well learned.
Many of you know the struggles I've been through with my oldest sweet pea. I'm reminded here, through the beauty of my lilac shrub, that no matter how much you love and nuture with the best intentions...life just doesn't always pan out the way we've planned it.
Sometimes we have to cut back, start over, give things up to God....
I'm happy to say that just like my blooming lilac, sweet pea #1 has in turn found his direction, on his own, and is thriving and blooming.
Who knows what next year will bring...
but for TODAY, I'm enjoying the blooms.
xoxo
CS