My mother grew up in a large family, with two loving parents and seven rambunctious siblings. Although money was scarce and free time even more scarce, mom and I both remember her family home always had glorious flower gardens in both front and back yards.
Mom always recalled her father having a sprawling peony bush in the garden behind the house, which he tended with the same loving care he gave his many children; and, when my mother married and eventually bought a house with my dad, her father gifted her a root of his peony for her own garden.
Twenty something years later, we - my mom and dad, myself and my two siblings - moved to a new house, only five blocks away; and, in the confusion of packing and relocating, mom forgot to bring the peony or at least a part of it with her. Over the next 30 years, she occasionally lamented losing her dad’s peony, and I came to feel the loss of it through her.
This past summer, when mom once again mentioned the ancient plant, I set off on a mission, to see if any of the sought after peony was still in existence. Realistically, fifty-something years had elapsed since mom’s root left her father’s garden, and his original root, had it survived, would easily have been more than 80 years old by now: Chances of my being successful seemed rather bleak.
As I now own my mother’s second house, going back to the home where I grew up was an easy journey; and, I ended up meeting the husband half of the current homeowners ... conversing with him over the garden fence. While chatting, I was delighted to see that my mother’s peony bush was still thriving in it’s original location at the side of the house.
Homeowner Joe, upon hearing my tale about the plant, kindly offered to give me a piece of the root in the fall when the weather cooled down. I was overjoyed to have this exciting piece of news to relate to my mom, and thanked him for his generosity.
Near the end of September, I dropped a note in the mailbox at my childhood home, to let the homeowners know how they could contact me if they were still open to the gift of some peony root. That evening, I received a phone call from Karen, the wife half of the equation, who proved to be equally kind and giving. Following a second phone conversation we eventually arranged a time I could come and dig some history out of their garden.
When the day finally arrived, I took my youngest grand-daughter with me and the visit was quite pleasant. While I took shovel to peony and chatted with Karen and Joe, Mattie-Belle enjoyed running and playing with their dog, Oreo, in the same yard I had played so many years before. I had my husband shuttle my mom over, so she could revisit her old yard and meet her benefactors, and Karen served us tea on the back deck.
It was a wonderful way to get to know strangers with whom we now have a connection. Karen and Joe unselfishly gave of themselves by allowing my mom to revisit happy old time memories, and I owe them a debt of gratitude for their kindness.
I split the peony root into enough pieces to give two to my sister, Jennifer; keep four for my garden; and offer two pieces to my cousin, Kathy, for planting at the Macdonald family grave site. She and I spent a lovely couple of hours together while we planted the roots, one on either side of our grandparent’s headstone ... a fitting location, I thought, as Grampa Macdonald’s peony has traveled full circle and will soon be beautifying his final resting place.
I’ve hedged my bets, in a way, by splitting the aged peony root between several locations tended by family: It’s likely now that we’ll never again be parted from this special piece of family history, and we’ll be able to enjoy beautiful peony blooms for generations to come.
One way or the other, through the kindness and generosity of others and the tenacity of a long-lived peony plant, I've been reminded once again that new relationships take root in the most unexpected places, and happy old time memories grow everywhere.
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| Note: Two years later, all the new peony plants are thriving in their new homes! |
21-12-2016
Karen's Reply:
Hi Nancy ... What a lovely tribute to your family as well as Joe and myself. We are so grateful you came by the house to introduce yourself and visit with us. I enjoyed meeting your Mom and sharing memories of her time here as well as details of the house and how certain things came about. I learned something from her which adds a richness to my home. Your little granddaughter was so sweet and Oreo loved having a new playmate. You are welcome to visit anytime with your Mom. It means so much to go back in time and reflect on childhood memories ... Family and a place to have called Home. This house will stand on the lot for many more years with my family making memories as well as your family's memories close in thought. Please keep in touch and all the Best to you and your Family over the Holidays. Send our best wishes to your Mom as well ... friend Karen
