millennial blog project

In 1984, my parents planted three little bunches of Lilies of the Valley on the North side of our house. My mother had carried a bouquet of them in their wedding and was then given her own to plant at her own home. Today, twenty-five years later, those three bunches have grown to make a patch over ten times the original size.

I have grown up around these flowers. Every spring my mother would create gorgeous lily bouquets and place them on the kitchen table. The scent from that one bouquet was always absolutely beautiful. I started picking the lilies and creating my own bouquets after watching my mother, and I gave those bouquets to my teachers and, of course, saved some to put in my own room.

Spring finally arrived this year along with what I had been looking forward to all winter: the lilies began to pop up. I decided to take a picture of the first lily to pop up once a day every day for about a week so I could watch its progress. Watching it grow and bloom was amazing, and then smelling it – the first lily of the year – confirmed my love for Lilies of the Valley. When I take my own stroll down the aisle, I plan on carrying a bouquet of lilies, just like my mother did.