Where I Find Hope – The Peony

My favorite flower is the peony.  

I love their color, their shape, and their size.  When Marco Polo saw the peony flower for the first time his remark was, peonies were “roses that are big as cabbages”.  Peonies have also been described as “overblown roses”.  

When I lived in Alaska, I couldn’t wait for the snow to melt.  Watching and waiting.  I waited for the new shoots to peek out out of the dirt.  I watched for the buds.  I waited for the flowers.  I watched for the pure beauty of my peonies.  

To help me get through the dark Alaska winter days I printed 16X20 prints of my favorite peony pictures that I had taken from my garden, framed them and hung them in my dining room.  Those pictures reminded me that there was hope, that winter would come to an end, that spring would come and the earth’s colors would explode into full bloom.  

I haven’t had a peony garden in a few years and how I have missed them.  I have missed the round buds holding tight the layers of petals that open into incredibly beautiful ruffled blooms.  

Now that spring is arriving in the Pacific Northwest, I am looking for the perfect spot to start a new peony garden.  My wonderful husband just bought for me 6 peony starts, four pink and two red.  I am so very excited.  

Formally the peony doesn’t symbolize hope.  It’s known for prosperity, good fortune, honor, and compassion.  Through the peony though we can still find hope.  We can hope for the comfort of prosperity.  We can hope for the luck of good fortune.  We can hope for honor through respect.  We can hope for compassion through kindness.  

As Easter has reminded us, spring is a time for renewal and new life.  Spring not only renews our hope but can also give our hope new life.  

For me spring lifts my heart.  Spring seems to ease my burdens a little.  Spring fills me with excitement and anticipation.  Spring reminds me to stop for a minute, take a deep breath and be thankful for the rebirth of the earth’s beauty.  

May the warming sun fill you with hope as it warms the awakening beauty of the world around us.  Let the Spring time be a renewing of Hope time for you.