My minister gave a sermon not long ago and quoted J.M. Barrie, the Scottish born novelist and playwright who wrote Peter Pan. Barrie, while addressing a group of college students, offered this insight. "God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December."
I love this thought, and many years it would ring true. For our friends in more northern climes, it probably does. But here in the Southeastern U.S., we've had a mild December (although today was cold and windy; lows in 30's, high's in the 40's), and many of the roses - especially the ubiquitous Knockouts - haven't really stopped blooming.
But there's nothing like the freshness of a rose in May. I took this photo on Mother's Day in Anna Davis' Atlanta garden. Anna is a well-known and respected rosarian and has a stunning garden which she has forged out of a rather small area around her cluster home.
If you were around in the 1960's, you might recognize the line of this entry's title. It comes from Try to Remember from the Fantasticks. I never saw the play, but we wore out the album in our sorority house, and I'm sorry to say, I think we twisted the words to make it into a rush song. Still, I got chill bumps recently when a good college friend started singing the original lyrics.
I've e-mailed Anna in hopes of finding out the name of this gorgeous rose in her garden. Meanwhile, on this cold, starry night, it is indeed nice to remember the warmth and beauty of that day in May. J. M. Barrie made a good point.
