Dandelion memories...

Much of last week the days were gray and wet. With constant down pours the grass grows and grows..... and with it being so wet, the grass doesn't get cut... and when the grass doesn't get cut... up come the dandelions like tiny little replicas begging the real sun to return!!!

And return the sun did... eventually... and I found myself wandering around the back field growing younger with each step until I was all of about 4 lost in the wonderment of the beautiful yellow flowers all around me.

I recalled picking handfuls of them and running to Mommy with them "hiding" behind my back. You'd think I had presented her with a dozen long stem roses the way they were always received and displayed....

I recalled how we used to rub them on our chins and if our chins turned yellow it meant we liked butter....

I remembered how we used to "pop" the tops of them while we sang, "Momma had a baby and it's head popped off!" (don't know where that one ever came from)

And I remembered all the many wishes we made as we blew the dandelion fluff from its stem once they went to seed.

And then suddenly I was the Mommy and I recalled how my sons, especially the youngest, would come running to me with handfuls behind his back.... even up until the day he left for college... and I received and displayed them as if they were a dozen long stemmed roses!!!

Dandelions are so bright and cheerful and full of child-like wishes, how can one not smile when they see them shining up at them?

After I finished squatting down in the grass to look at them closely, watch the bugs crawl around on them, rub one on my skin, just to make sure I still liked butter and try to make as many wishes as I could on all fluff Abbey released in her wake... I picked myself a handful, displayed them as if they were a dozen long stemmed roses .... and smiled.