A RED GERANIUM

The simple red geranium. The simple red geranium petals can invoke a sense of childlike anticipation; such as going to the lake where I will spend time with my grandparents. Oh the excitement makes me simply giddy and brings about a smile on my face from ear to ear. I can just about feel the freshly cut grass as I run across it and feel the dock give way as I run even faster to ensure a perfect dive from the end of it into the cool lake water. Ah!! It is so cool!  I am instantly feeling devoid of sweat from the long 30 mile drive with my parents and siblings in the full station wagon with the windows rolled down attempting to cool everyone off in the 85 degree heat. I see my mother and grandmother sit in the shade and begin their non-stop chatting (or is it gossip). Their eyes are not far from the shore ensuring each of the children are in sight. We splash and dive and rock each other off the big tractor tubes. My grandpa has cracked a beer and laughs at each of us and waits for us to tire so he can start the grill and we can have our weekly hotdogs and barbecued chicken. We each shiver out of the water and eat and do as our mother tells us, “You must wait an hour after eating before you swim.” So we find an adventure to bide our time waiting for that clock to tick down. Soon those 60 minutes has gone by and off we go into the water and at dusk the after seems warmer.

Those simple geranium petals bring back the laughter of the grandmother who held my hand and my attention as a teen and my ears as a young mother. She had a way with a geranium in the summer season and could get them to bloom in the coldest of winters. She talked to them as if they were her children, so loving and kind. I would believe the plants looked forward to coming in to tend to them just as I looked forward to visiting her or her coming to spend time with me. Be it the lake or sitting on the couch she brought out her bright, loving personality that was hard to turn away from. Her love was genuine. Even though as a child I rushed to the lake to take in the fun and excitement of the lake, it was at my grandmother’s lake home with her red geraniums wrapping around it.

So as I gaze upon a red geranium or hold the petals within my hand I hold so very close to me one very special lady, my grandmother.