Just when I thought life was yelling me into a little rabbit hole and the tears were about to run unchecked, the cute little boy in my life ran into the house from his outdoor duties to bring me a flower. Actually it was my husband coming in for a jacket while mowing and stopping long enough to tell me that the irises were exploding purple all over the flower bed. There was just enough time for me to snap some photos. 

Some years ago I wrote a poem that was inspired by my brother bringing my mother some dandelions. Here  it is 

Dandelions

This flower is a mothers joy

And many a tear it has brought

For out in the sun her little boy

Plays without a thought

Suddenly amongst the dirt and grass

He sees the Lionhead weed

And into the house he flies so fast

He forgets the mud on his feet

Mother yells, “Stop! Get out!”

But her little boy doesn’t hear

He tumbles forward to bring her his gift

And down her face rolls a tear

For her little boy that was in the yard just

Was playing so without thought

Until he saw this flat yellow flower

And of his dear mother he thought

This poem was written in May of 1989. My brother was six years old then. I don’t remember if I was home after my spring term in college or if my mother just told me about a bouquet that he brought to her. But it was so endearing. 

Recently my daughter brought me another bouquet some boy has given her. I say another because she had been a little overwhelmed with unwanted suitors and found it easier to bring the flowers home to her mother then to turn them down. At about the same time frame, I had been expressing to my husband my desire to pick up some flowers to plant in my boxes in front of the house. So when he asked me the other evening if I had gotten any flowers that day I told him no that our daughter hadn’t told anyone No that particular day. He just chuckled then asked if I had gotten to the green house yet. It was my turn to laugh as I had misunderstood the topic at hand. 

This evening as he shared with me the joy of our exploding purple flower bed I thought of the young boy he once was to his mother. I had actually been talking to his mom on the phone when he tracked the grass all through the house on his search for warmth. I was quite happy with myself for not yelling at her little boy for the mess he added to my daughter-just-home-from-college-boxes-everywhere floor that can’t be swept right now!  But I was especially glad that after 25 years of marriage our romance is still very alive and my husband was the one to “give me flowers today!” They were not discarded roses from an unexpected, unwanted suitor. Yes, my mother in laws little boy left his thoughtless mowing moment because he thought of me!