Feeding the soul

If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one, and with the dole
Buy hyacinths to feed thy soul.

- Saadi (a Persian poet)

This quote is one that my husband's grandmother loved, and it is something that also reminds me of my mother. Each week as we grocery shop she makes sure she has a little left over in her wallet for a bunch of flowers. Always beautiful, rarely the same, she chooses them for the color or the shape or the way they will look in a unique vase she owns. When I was little, and Mom had reluctantly become the first single parent on the block, she took flower arranging classes. She can make a simple bouquet into a work of art with her arranging abilities.




I share the love of flowers, but not always that extra change to buy them. This week, though, I have roses; they are set where the filtered sunlight can come in and unveil the full scale of reds and yellows that each petal has to display. It is amazing what joy such a little thing can bring.




My youngest daughter has even less spare change than I do, but she can always find a bouquet in the yard. Sometimes, like today, it includes recognizable flowers, but often it is just the greenery that is popping up in the corners and on the slopes. The natural beauty in a nosegay of wildflowers feeds her soul to overflowing.