Post #37 – Women’s Memoirs, News – Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett
The last of my lavender blossoms have now faded for the season. Soon I need to cut the bushes back to round balls. But even that task is made more joyful by the distinctive fragrant scent released into the air as my clippers do their work.
Why joy? A language of herbs has evolved over the years. Most books on the subject list “joy” as the meaning of lavender. I write about the importance of lavender in our mental Memoir Garden. It reminds us to be joyful in our writing, even on the days when it seems like work, or worse.
While lavender the plant is what we discuss in our Memoir Garden, we might also note the importance of the color lavender. When I was young and just learning about gardens, my mother told me that I should always have at least one lavender plant. Not knowing much about gardens, I assumed she meant the plant. Later, I realized that her lavender colored bearded iris filled this need for her. Lavender is sometimes associated with refinement, grace, and elegance. It is useful to consider these attributes when we write. Often it is in the re-write stage that we can finally consider refinement, grace, and elegance in our story and our words.
Be sure to visit our Memoir Garden to learn more about lavender and how its language can help you as you write.
