Those Purple Tulips

The tulips are gorgeous this year.  Tucked into an out of the way corner, I had a single purple tulip that came as part of a “Purple Flowering Plants” gift package from Arbor Day Foundation a few years ago. This year there were two blooms.  I plucked them from their spot the other day and brought them in and put them in their own vase on the kitchen window sill.

Certain Man, looking perplexed, said, “Why did you pick your only purple tulips?”

“Because I can,” I answered. “Because they were almost hidden where they were growing.”

“They weren’t hidden,” he said.

“They were right up by the front steps.” I said, argumentatively. “No one could see them.” I went to the front door and he followed. We both looked down at the tulip leaves that were sticking their empty, waxy leaves out to the morning sun.

“See,”  I say, unnecessarily, “they were right there by the front steps and the fence and other flowers are in the way, and no one could see them until they were almost past and . . . ”

He kinda shook his head and said, “People could see them. They were right THERE!”

“I know,” I said meekly. “But I couldn’t see them there unless I was going out to get the mail. I want to look at them. They cheer me up.”

“Whatever,” he said, not unkindly, and went back to “whatever” (it was that he was doing).

It’s another case of the differences between my good husband and me. He doesn’t like me to pick the flowers too much because then there aren’t any out there to make the outside look nice. The fact that these are the only purple tulips made him think they should be outside.  Where they grew. The fact that these are the only purple tulips made me think they should be inside.  Where I could see them.

“There are plenty of others out there for her to pick,” I can imagine he thinks, “I don’t know why she isn’t content to pick some of those and leave these alone.”

Well, I DO pick those (not enough to cause him too much angst) but there is something about these splashes of purple that just speak something hopeful and special to this Delaware Grammy.