There are truly beautiful and rare things in life such as the yellow peonies now, briefly, blooming in my yard. Years ago, while living in Kansas City, I did a road trip to Maryville, Missouri, and spent an afternoon with Mr. Hollingsworth, arguably one of America’s finest peonies growers. At that time, he was perfecting yellow peonies, and after a lovely afternoon, he allowed me to purchase 2 of the 6 plants he had developed. Now he can replicate them fairly readily, however they still remain one of the most spectacular flowers in the world. They remind me of just how precious all life is, and how we need to pay attention and rejoice when we see beauty. These peonies last but 3 or 4 days, yet they linger in my heart throughout the year as I await their annual return.
