You know how they say that a scent can transport you back to the very first time you encountered it? That is often my experience with so many things, particularly the sweet smell of lilacs.
My parents planted a lilac bush just outside my bedroom window when they first moved into our house, well over fifty years ago. In comparison to other flowering bushes which surrounded the foundation, the lilac blooms seemed enormous and had the most powerful, lasting scent. My mother used to arrange the branches she cut in a tall, jet black vase. The deep dark purple blossoms falling against the black was striking.
The Catholic grammar school I attended was named after the Blessed Mother. The month of May, dedicated to her, began with setting up a special table in her honor, draping it in blue cloth, and keeping it filled with fresh flowers through out the month.
All manner of flowers and plants were brought to school each morning by fellow students, but the sight of lilacs were most welcome. Their sweet perfume would fill the classroom and lighten our spirits. I was so proud to be able to arrive at school with an armload of lilacs, their stems first wrapped in wet paper towels, then sealed up with tin foil in order to preserve their freshness.
Standing by my current lilac bush, I close my eyes, inhale deeply and find that school girl once again.
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