The Joy of a Lilac

The Joy of a Lilac

I have wonderful neighbors who have planted Lilacs in their yards.   I also have a pale lavender colored bush in the corner of my yard.  But the old bush in my back neighbor’s yard is something to see.  It must be at least 20 feet tall and spreads out like a deep purple carpet for all to enjoy.

The other day as I was trimming the verge out by the back fence I plucked a few low hanging clusters that were clearly wanting to come inside.  I put them in a vase and set them on the patio table to “debug” while I continued my work.  As I sat enjoying my afternoon break and cool water, the wonderful scent of those deep purple flowers gently took me back to a memory of many years ago.

When I was much younger than I am today, the primary children would gather during the week and learn of the Savior and his teachings. We would sing songs to reinforce these teachings and other pleasing things, like the earth.

One of my very favorite memories of “Singing Time” is the day we learned the beautiful song  “My Heavenly Father Loves Me” By Clara W. McMaster.  Our enthusiastic Music Leader, Lavinda Oppie had brought in the biggest bunch of these dark purple flowers I had ever seen.  I am sure we had some around our house but this was the first time I remember seeing them in a huge vase, displayed like real flowers.

How delightful they smelled, how gorgeous they looked all tucked into that vase.  What an impact they made on me. 

“Whenever I hear the Song of a bird or look at the blue, blue sky, Whenever I feel the rain on my face or the wind as it rushes by, Whenever I touch a velvet rose or walk by our lilac tree, I’m glad that I live in this beautiful world Heavenly Father created for me.”

I love hearing Lavinda’s beautiful voice singing those words over and over as we learned this song.  She had a picture of a red bird and the blue sky.  She had a single red rose, and those Lilacs.  She was a master music teacher, and I know that she was one of many who fostered my love of music.

Some things in our brains are inseparably connected.  Smell remains one of the greatest triggers for memory we have.  Every spring when they bloom, the pungent fragrance of those lilacs brings back so many happy memories of the Music of my Youth, Lavinda Oppie taught me so many songs about Love and our Savior, and the world in general.  Reinforced at home as my own Mother sang them while she worked, These songs became ingrained in the very fiber of my being.  I sing them in my dreams.  I hum them when I do not realize I am humming.  They are as much a part of my memories as the color of the trees I grew up under.   

          “He gave me my eyes that I might see the color of butterfly wings.  He gave me my ears that I might hear the magical sound of things. He gave me my life, my mind, my heart, I thank Him reverently for all his creations, of which I’m a part. Yes, I know Heavenly Father love me.”

What a kind and loving Father in Heaven we have,

 to give me the opportunity to find such joy is such a simple thing.

 A deep purple Lilac.