Dime Bag of Weed

Recently our son, Luke, posted this entry on his Facebook feed, "My plan to get the children to weed the backyard by playing Find All the Dandelions did not go very well." His post elicited a variety of reminiscences and responses including a memory from his parents of how Daddy D persuaded young Luke and his brother to rid our lawn of the pesky weeds. Our two sons were offered a nickel for the removal of each plant. My husband's sister, Ruthie, remembered being paid ten cents for a grocery bag of the yellow-flowered weeds in a much earlier time. Ruthie also reported that Daddy D and brother Dan would fill their sacks with Ruthie's flowers in order to earn the dime.

Although the task of removing spring dandelions from a yard is daunting if not impossible, the yellow flower also brings to mind many fond memories. Think of the many bouquets offered to moms and grandmas by tender children holding a fistful of dandelions in chubby little hands with that special look of love and pride. Picture a toddler sniffing the first dandelion appearance in a lawn as if smelling the sweetest rose.

When composing this post or any post, I confess to being enthralled with determining the perfect title. This particular title although provocative more or less created itself. Admittedly, dandelions are weeds, but the term, weed, as no biological meaning. A weed is merely a plant that grows where that plant is not desired. Then, of course, there is the common slang definition of the word, weed.

Dime Bag of Weed

In any event,  the cheery dandelions bring a smile to my lips and a lift to my spirit as I remember fondly picking dandelions for my mom, receiving yellow bouquets from my young sons, and seeing my sweet grandchildren gathering flowers for their parents.