Season of wishful thinking

The calla lililes are blooming in our side flower bed, pure and elegant in their simplicity. They're spreading this year. They give me hope.

We're on the cusp of a very hot summer, with spring fast becoming a tantalizing memory. The temps are creeping into the mid-90s. Summer is bearing down on us with its noxious, humid breath, its squishy arms ready to soak the sap out of plants, animals, and especially humans.

But we start the spring with much greater optimism. Blooms 'n Blossoms, the county co-op, Wal-Mart, and Lowe's have all of us lined up with buggies of ambitious plantings. In those very few days when the humidity is low and the sun still slants across the horizon, we convince ourselves that a botantic garden is within our reach.

Spring is a time of great plans. This summer, I will read more books. I will visit my Delta relatives. I will spend more time with family and less time at work. I will plan a real vacation. Isn't that what summers are for?

Instead, greedy time gobbles up the days in front of it , the calla lilies fade, my brave spring plants droop. Before I even calculate it, another summer is nearly past.

The calla lilies remind me to enjoy the fragile beauty while I can.