Light On Dark Water

The Pathos of Flowers

You’re perfectly welcome to laugh at me for this. But I’m always struck by the strange waste of flowers that bloom and fall to the ground within a day or two, quite possibly without anyone ever seeing them. I won’t say it strikes me as sad, exactly, but…it strikes me.

This tree grows beside the street leading down the hill to my house. I don’t know what kind it is. Never before this year (and we’ve been here since 1992) had I noticed the flowers that it bears.

FloweringTree

There’s another one on the other side of the street, a little further down the hill, and I first noticed the flowers when I was walking one morning and saw this:

FallenFlowers

Sorry it’s out of focus, but you get the idea. There was twenty square feet or so of flower-carpet. I looked up and saw something like the first picture, only with fewer flowers still on the tree. Can anyone tell me what kind of tree this is? The flowers are two-three inches (5-7cm) across. Here’s a closer look:

CloserLook

Maclin Horton

20 responses to “The Pathos of Flowers”

  1. Janet Cupo

    I don’t know what they are, but they’re sure pretty.
    I used to think that it was a waste of money to buy people cut flowers that were only going to die in a few days, but then it struck me that it was a real sign of affection to spend that time and money on someone just to please them for a short time.
    So, maybe this is God’s way of showing how much He loves to please us. He makes these nice flowers so we can enjoy them for a short time.
    Of course, it’s an equal waste of money to give me potted plants, because I manage to kill them in just about the same amount of time as the cut flowers. It always makes me feel bad–as though I’m letting the friendship die–but I get over it. But, I do hope that God doesn’t send me any potted plants.
    I hope this makes some small bit of sense. I’m really tired.
    AMDG

    Reply
  2. antiaphrodite

    Wahaha!!!
    furtively snatches a few flowers
    Ahehehe!!!
    stealthily takes a picture while furtively taking more flowers.
    Wahahaa!!!
    backs away slowly hands behind her back

    Reply
  3. antiaphrodite

    Have a good night’s rest, Miss Janet!!

    Reply
  4. Paul

    Brings Thérèse of Lisieux to mind (as many things have been doing lately; probably a point there somewhere).

    Reply
  5. Mac

    Yes, there probably is a Therese-related point to be made there, Paul. A flower seen only by God would seem to be just her sort of thing.
    Janet, I’m horribly tempted to send you a potted plant with a note “from God.” But I won’t.

    Reply
  6. Mac

    You don’t actually have to steal the flowers, anti. But maybe it’s more fun that way. Or are you describing real-life incidents?

    Reply
  7. Mac

    The flowers are not 2-3 inches, btw, I noticed this morning. More like 2 inches maximum, most closer to 1.5 (4-5cm).

    Reply
  8. antiaphrodite

    “You don’t actually have to steal the flowers, anti.”
    I’m glad 🙂
    ” But maybe it’s more fun that way. ”
    I imagine it’s quite difficult, actually, even in virtual.

    Reply
  9. Mac

    Well, you could easily steal all of these flowers (right-click, copy image). Picking a handful would be more difficult.

    Reply
  10. antiaphrodite

    “Picking a handful would be more difficult.”
    Yes, and that’s what I was talking about 😀

    Reply
  11. Dave

    Our kids did theater for some years: enormous amounts of work for a few performances and then – gone. Many of life’s joys are fleeting. I like doing amateurish sand art on our annual beach vacation in part for the silly romantic notion that it will be washed away at the next high tide.
    Yep, it strikes me too.

    Reply
  12. Mac

    Here you go, anti.

    Reply
  13. Mac

    Yeah, that is a very romantic idea, Dave. Sometimes I think the main lesson we have to learn in life is that things pass away, whether it’s quickly or slowly. That’s a really important idea in Perelandra.

    Reply
  14. antiaphrodite

    Why, thank you, Sir! I’ve never gotten virtual flowers before 🙂
    (And I think the last time I got real flowers was when I graduated from gradeschool!)

    Reply
  15. Mac

    You’re welcome. They don’t have a nice smell, but they won’t wilt, either. 🙂

    Reply
  16. Extollager

    This is definitely a tree and not a shrub? If it’s a tree, I might be able to identify it with one of my field guides.

    Reply
  17. Mac

    Yes, it’s definitely a tree. If you look at the larger version of that first pic (click on it) you can see the leaves pretty clearly. I’ve got some field guides, too, but it seems like I usually end up confused when I try to use them.

    Reply
  18. Extollager

    Sorry… I can’t tell what the tree is. With that flowers having that richly-colored heart you’d think it might be easy to identify.

    Reply
  19. Clare Krishan

    The leaves don’t look waxy enough for Confederate Jasmine:
    http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/photo/2579963160043262154dNIBvY
    Drupes of blossoms look more abundant than night jasmine:
    http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/129580/
    and absent a perfume its not a lilac either right? How about a native, Catawba:
    http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/8778/

    Reply
  20. Janet Cupo

    My friend who used to work in the extension office in New Orleans doesn’t recognize your tree. You may have discovered a new species. Maybe the reason you never noticed them before is that they are new to the face of the earth.
    AMDG

    Reply

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