peony

i was introduced to peonies as a child. a line of peonies grew along our back yard, pink, white, crimson and all colors in between. they started their bloom in mid june, often on my birthday (june 11). being the young, impressionable and yes, egocentric child i was, i believed they bloomed just for me. big, showy and sweet smelling, peonies became my favorite flower. of course.
i grew up. my parents sold my childhood home, yet i still longed for a row of peonies. how else would i mark my birthday? thirty eight years later, for my birthday, my husband hand-dug a lengthy trough and we planted peonies. my blip today is of the first bloom of the year - an early single pink. it comes only nine days after my birthday. for a moment, i feel like i am seven.