Tulips, daffodils, and lilacs are only a few of the fragrant memories May conjures up for me with a simple smell. Memories of my Granny’s flower garden are always foremost in my thoughts as the weather turns warmer and the sky takes on that exceptional shade of blue only spring can bring about. I would always jokingly tell her that if she put a twig in the ground, it would grow. She would smile that special Granny smile and laugh in that deep down way only she could. I couldn’t help but be happy when around my beloved Granny. I still try to emulate the things she taught me.
Another of the great memories I have of May is preparing for Decoration Day (Memorial Day). Everyone watched the peonies getting ready to bloom with bated breath. There was no buying grave flowers at the store. That was for the uppity rich folks. In my mind’s eye, I can see my Great Aunt Letha wrapping coffee cans in tin foil so they didn’t look so much like coffee cans. When the coffee cans were gone, mayonnaise jars took up the slack.
On the ride to the cemetery, I vividly remember being upset because the water sloshed on my feet. Momma told me a little bit of water “never hurt nobody,” especially when paying respects to the dead. At that point in my young life, I didn’t know anyone who had passed away. So I sat there real still, just in case we were going to the cemetery for someone to die. I sure as shooting didn’t want it to be me.
Daddy got out a little garden spade and dug a hole for each coffee can of flowers. Before you know it, it was time to go home. I was super relieved.
Now it was time for my favorite part; the big cookout at Granny’s house. All my favorite relatives would be there, and I was so excited. Granny had hotdogs, hamburgers and all the fixings. It was so yummy! I ate until I couldn’t eat another bite.
Decoration Day was over for another year, but the memories were for a lifetime.
