Editor’s Corner: Smell the honeysuckle

Spring in the Arkansas Delta – A time when the glory of God’s canvas is on full display.

The daffodils are beginning to bloom and the birds are singing. The days are growing longer; work is beginning in the fields; and the fish are biting down at the river. It’s a time for new beginnings, new adventures, and familiar trips down the backroads.

The breath of Spring brings home memories of lazy days looking for four-leaf clovers; whispering secrets on long walks in the rain; and picking bouquets of wildflowers for my mom.

I’ll never forget one day when I was about 12, I rode my bike down the old gravel road from Alicia to Clover Bend. There were beautiful wildflowers growing in the ditches... there were blazing stars, butterfly weeds, a patch of sunflowers and even a few spider lilies. I was trying to decide if I should just pick one of each when I noticed a sweet smell. I stopped my bike and looked around. What had I missed? Then I saw them... honeysuckle vines on an old fence. I cross the ditch and approached carefully, knowing there may be a few bees lurking around. I bent down and smelled the beautiful yellow and white flowers... inhaling their scent. I can close my eyes even today and be transported back to that incredible day. I slowly broke off a bunch of the flowers and placed them gently in the basket on my bike. Then I was back on the old road... lost in thought, surrounded by nature’s glory. I spent the entire afternoon just being free... like a flower child from the 60s.

A few years later I visited Paris and toured a perfume factory where they make the perfect fragrance for your personality. Yes, of course, mine was created from honeysuckle.

I have saved that perfume the past 25 years... wearing it only on very special occasions. Then, just the other day, I knocked it off the counter and broke the top. My heart sank as the fragrance filled my house.

The moral of the story is never wait for a special occasion to enjoy the things you love. Treat everyday as if it is a beautiful spring day. Take the time to smell the honeysuckle; run barefooted through the grass; and laugh just because you feel like it.

Sandra Brand is the editor of the NEA Town Courier and The Osceola Times. She may be reached by phone at 870-563-2615 or by email at brand@osceolatimes.com.