Lilacs are my favorite flower. These delicate buds grow in bunches that look like soft, purple clouds when they bloom. And the smell…there may be nothing closer to Heaven. Here in South Dakota, lilacs bloom for a very short time in early summer. Sometimes, they seem to come and go within a week or two.  And so it is with our lives.

From the depths of your heart to the top of your lungs
sing until every song has been sung

Collect your mistakes and wear them like medals
Breathe in the flowers and count all the petals

Smile til the wrinkles won’t fall from your eyes
Stand for what’s right til it’s not a surprise

Let the light enter where darkness has veiled
and hope against odds when all else has failed

Breathe it all in while the air is still sweet
And cherish each day with your kids at your feet

Write it all down so they’ll know what you did
Leaving a glimpse of the life that you lived

Tomorrow’s impatient, arriving too soon
There’s just today, while the lilacs are in bloom.