Picturing Hope

On New Year’s Eve, last week, I bought a picture calendar at Michael’s on sale for 84 cents. Michael’s  84-cent calendar display by that time had only a few choices to select from such as Hello Kitty or Angry Birds or maybe Despicable Me. But there also just happened to be one flower calendar remaining.

The January picture is of a vase of purple lilacs on the window sill of an open window (a subliminal suggestion of warm weather). The old wooden window frame is painted bright blue.  Faded curtains frame the window. Interspersed among the lilacs are some fragile white flowers. I could not not buy this calendar. The picture of lilacs on a cold winter day conveys such hope to my heart and soul. I can almost smell the lilacs.

I stopped to gaze at the lilacs again today and my heart smiled enough to reach my face: Hope. The fact that the calendar cost only 84 cents also makes me smile. However, to me the picture is priceless.

On New Year’s Day, I changed our cottage sign. The December cottage sign was “Christmas Cottage.” The January cottage sign is “Hope Springs Cottage.” The idea that should come to your mind is the phrase “hope springs eternal” (from “An Essay on Man” by Alexander Pope). It also implies, “hoping for Spring” (I am hoping for an early Spring).The background of the sign is a montage of snowflakes.

Yes, Winter will again yield to Spring. Meanwhile, the picture of the lilacs gives me joy and hope.