It’s funny how a certain place, or sound, or even a smell can bring up a core memory.
For some people it might be the smell of particular baked good to make them immediately think of their grandmother in the kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. Or the sounds of waves crashing on the beach reminding them of a summer they’ll never forget.
For me, the sight of certain flowers remind me specific moments in my life. I have found that I now can associate the bloom times of certain flowers to what I was doing during that time of year. So many of my important memories come with a flower attached to it. The chaste trees in bloom at Coloniel Lake the week of our IVF transfer. The purple sweetgrass in bloom at Charles Towne Landing on the day we got married. Another example are the crepe myrtles. In 2018 when I discovered I was pregnant with my second son Bear, I had such horrible morning sickness. The morning sickness coincided with the full bloom of the crepe myrtles in Charleston and the main road to our house is lined the entire way with these bright pink and purple trees. Each morning on my way to drop Liam off at preschool or to head into work, I would drive past the beautiful trees and just feel completely miserable from the morning sickness. So sick that several times I had to pull over for fear I would lose my breakfast all over the driver’s side of the car. And now, still to this day, when I see that exact row of crepe myrtles along the road I immediately think about my morning sickness of 2018. My husband even laughs when I see that line of trees in bloom and mutter “uhh those trees!”
And then there is the redbud tree. The Eastern Redbud tree doesn’t get a lot of love like it’s neighbor the cherry blossom which is quite shameful because this tree is simply gorgeous. Its called a redbud but the blooms are actually quite pink and not to be confused with the American Redbud that puts out more of a purple flower. It is one of the first trees to bloom at the end of winter, marking the entrance of spring. So in Charleston you can expect to see this tree in bloom around late February/early March.
This particular tree on the lower end of King Street has a moment that has now cemented itself into the “long term memory” category of my brain. Exactly one year ago this time, we went for a long walk around downtown. Prior to being pregnant with twins, I was the type of pregnant person that other pregnant people hated. I could still sleep through the night, I never had heart burn or indigestion, and up until the day of delivery I could still enjoy our long family walks. Until now. Until the twins. Until this moment in which I was 34 weeks pregnant with the twins and for the first time ever I could not walk another inch. My lower back was aching, My feet were swollen so bad I could barely lift them. I could feel Ziggy’s head pushing down into my cervix so hard I was sure he was falling out. Everything felt tight, everything ached, everything was uncomfortable.
And yet I was the happiest I had ever been. I see that redbud tree and I am reminded that my body was growing two healthy big babies at the same time. I remember the pain and the discomfort, but it is overshadowed by the memory of the joy I felt at that time.
And now a year later I am back at this same tree. This time looks a little bit different. Yes my lower back still hurts. My arms hurt now too. But I am still absolutely joyful to have these two here in my arms with us today.
Just you and me under the redbud tree.
