The lilacs have finally blossomed here after a late spring, and I’m out for a walk around the neighborhood on this beautiful sunny morning. As I move in closer to a large bush for a photo, the fragrance wafts up and envelops me; it is so overwhelming, that I feel a bit drunk, in fact, and I’m 7 months sober! A warm rush of memories float on the aroma.

Moving along to the next bush, I remember the Greek myth about how Pan, god of the fields and forests, relentlessly pursued the nymph Syringa for her beauty, until she turned herself into a lilac bush to escape him. Today, Syringa is the scientific name for the lilac.

Last year at this time, I took my youngest granddaughter to the park to introduce her to the luscious flora there. We found some magnificent lilac bushes, and I suggested that she take a whiff. She leaned in and inhaled deeply; a smile came across her precious little face, and she said, “I knew purple would smell nice.”

o nymph syringa

you once bewitched the god pan–

now, you bewitch us all

–Photos by me