Dandy Lions

Spring is here and you know how I can tell? It's not the frigid, rainy weather we've had all March and April here in Richmond. It's not the daffodils blooming in my yard (they emerge from the dirt, but never bloom), it's not the three tulips out of 100 planted bulbs that weakly burst forth from the ground in my yard (are you sensing a theme...it's about my yard). No, it's not the azaleas that might or might not bloom this year and haven't seemed to grow AT ALL since we planted them two years ago.

It's the dandelions that have overtaken our yard.

But I'm not complaining. Because I LOVE the dandelions!

I might be the only one who does, but here's why.

Dandelions elicit such spur-of-the-moment sweetness and thoughtfulness in my children. Every day there's a dandelion or two being picked just for me. Waiting on the car seat before church, when I'm covered in dirt from planting the flowers that don't seem to want to grow in our yard, as I'm seeing kids off on the bus in the morning...

Children see color and easy access. To them, dandelions are beautiful. And because they spontaneously pick them and present them to me with a kiss and a hug for absolutely no reason other than because they love their mommy... it's hard for me not to think they're beautiful too.

Which is a good thing, considering our yard.