Lilac Laura

It's lilac season, and this year I got to celebrate in style. On Mother's Day my son presented me with a lovely, heartfelt card, which included a surprise invitation to the Harvard Arboretum's Lilac Walk. How did I not know about this place?

It wasn't news to my son that I had a love affair with lilacs, which dated back to my childhood. Every Spring, our side yard would be bursting with tones of purple and white, and bushes that were too high to reach. The scent was amazing, and impossible to forget. "Lilac Laura" became my CB handle, when my Dad got a CB radio for his car. It is still not quite clear why he needed a CB radio, but it was exciting nonetheless. Being able to communicate remotely with total strangers was a relatively new thing back then, and clearly a sign of things to come. It sounds scary, but we communicate with strangers all the time, through social media, and our fascination with peeking into the lives of others has taken over much of our down time. I was happy to have a reason to get away from the hustle and bustle of constant communication, and take in the beauty of the lilacs in season.

 

While visiting this amazing place, with a lilac display like no other, we discovered many other themed gardens that were begging to be enjoyed. Before we left, we were already talking about a return visit, as we didn't have time to see everything, and I was not wearing the best pair of shoes for walking.

Mother's Day is a time to be honored by those whose lives you have left an imprint on. It is nice to know that my children know how to get to the heart of what I love.