Making Eye Statements: Keeping The Light

“Deep in their roots,

all flowers keep the light.”

- Theodore Roethke, American Poet (1908-1963)

“Give me my flowers while I’m living.”

- Lester Flatt and Earl Scrugs

Trigger Alert: This posting contains yet another round of whinging about cold weather. Just sayin’.

Here’s a confession: with Daylight Savings having just started last night and the official beginning of spring only a week away, I am anxious to get the new season started. Bring on the flowers and the gnats, say I! Many people claim that we’ve had a mild winter here in Eastern Ontario, and from a meteorological point of view, I’m sure they’re correct. However, if you measure winter by endless grey days, freezing rain, bitter winds, and cruel moments of warm weather, this winter – or at least my experience of it – has been a parade of numbed fingers, cold feet, chill-inducing dog walks, and a sun-deprived soul. I’m a stronger, more resilient Canadian for having survived another winter, but I’m pretty sure that by now, I’ve earned my permanent winter licence and don’t need to keep renewing it. The warmest part of the winter was the promise Bill and I made to each other to seek out the sun in the winters ahead.

To make my world feel more spring-like, I went through my treasure trove of photos from the last decade to reclaim flowers from my past. It was curiously moving, rediscovering images that I had forgotten about, each one opening up the gates to memories, both happy and sad. They fell into three general categories:

1. Flowers from the days I shared with my late partner, Spencer.

2. Flowers from my visits to Australia and New Zealand.

3. Flowers from my days with Bill.

I hope you enjoy seeing these flowers as much as I did rediscovering them. And think about the warmth that will soon come with this spring’s crop of flowers.

Part One - Flowers from my life with Spencer