when the daisies laughed
The back yard of my grandparents’ house was full of tiny flowers. I think they were a type of daisy.
I loved them.
I’ve always loved them.
(I remember being a child in their back yard; I loved them then too.)
When the grass hadn’t been mowed in a while, the daisies were everywhere.
I took care of my grandparents’ yard toward the end.
This was somewhat problematic because I did not like to mow my beloved flowers!
(As an aside, I discovered that my desire to do a good job was at odds with my desire to keep flowers alive. Have you ever tried to rake around a crocus? Spoiler alert: It’s impossible.)
I spent a good chunk of my mowing time apologizing. “Sorry little flowers! Sorry! So sorry.”
One day, I paused & spoke to the daisies directly.
“I’m so sorry that I have to mow you down,” I told them.
In reply, the yard filled with tiny peals of laughter. I felt the daisies throw their flowery hands up in the air in the most insouciant way imaginable.
They said, “It’s all good.”
They said, “Mow.”
They said, “We are here now & someday we will go & someday we will return. For us, the moment is all that matters.”
Oh, Elizabeth, that was so beautiful! Thank you for sharing the story of your relationship with your grandparents’ yard, and your chat with the daisies. <3
My own yard will be filled with daisies next month (it's still too early for them now, although they may come out earlier than usual given that we're expecting our first heatwave of the year this week, which is crazy early). I love them so much, too! I'll tell them about you and your daisies, and will listen carefully: maybe they'll laugh too, and maybe they'll also chat a bit with me.
The thought that you might have a yard full of daisies right now makes me so happy! I hope you do – and that they laughed and spoke to you.