Aunt Gayle’s Daylily

I dug it up from the front flower bed of the house I once shared with the man that I thought would always be there. Placed right by the front porch, I lovingly tended it year after year. My Aunt Gayle, Mama’s twin sister, loved daylilies. Many hot summer weekends, day trips ended with a trunk load of day lily risomes. Our eyes were often bigger than our flower beds, so more spots in the yards were created.

The one planted by the porch is very special, because my aunt had become ill and we could no longer go on our excursions. One of her daughters brought it to me- a lovely surprise ordered from a flower catalog.

“Mama says it’s suppose to be a true pink, Mandy. Let her know when it blooms or maybe take a picture of it.”

April of 2015 I went out to the house in Amite County to gather bridal wreath and roses (my bridal wreath and my roses) to decorate tables for a wedding shower. While there, I found the shovel and a bucket and dug up Aunt Gayle’s daylily.

There were others around the yard and vegetable garden, the pool deck. And I did think about digging my favorites up that afternoon. They were mine, after all.

But the then soon-to-be-ex showed up and I decided to let them have my flowers (and my fruit trees). I’d had a lot of fun finding and planting them once, Lord willing, I’d get another chance to start over.

The other flowers, had I taken them, would have reminded me of my past. I am over that. Aunt Gayle’s daylily reminds me of her: her smile, her kindness, her laughter. She was a beautiful lady.

I miss you, Aunt Gayle, but a part of you comes for a month long visit every May.

Blessings from the Exile’s Kitchen.