The Scent of Lilacs

On the way home from a doctor’s appointment the other day, I walked through the Arnold Arboretum. My path took me through the lilac collection. The lilacs were still in bloom and were beautiful. I stopped at random bushes to inhale the scent.

The scent of lilacs means “home” to me. There were lilac bushes in the front yard of my childhood home. I remember cutting off blooms and handing them to my mother, who would put them in a glass and set it on the kitchen windowsill.

The city that I’m from, Rochester, New York, has a vast collection of lilacs in its Highland Park arboretum. As the Arnold Arboretum celebrates “Lilac Sunday” every year, Rochester holds an entire festival every year to celebrate the flower. I’m glad that my local arboretum is able to transport me to my roots every May.