I called it Cerinsh

Clark was working in the garage and talking to me while I was sitting on the grass and resting from my morning run in the Fish Creak. It is hard to imagine Saturday morning that would be more perfect than that one. Sun was bright but not hot, wind was refreshing but not cold and everything else about that morning and that conversation was peaceful and serene.

Then Clark pointed to the lilac that was growing by our fence. We talked a little bit about its smell and whatever else there is to talk about lilacs. However, that made me think that most of my life I used to call this beautiful plant in other name. That other name somehow seemed more beautiful and precious. It is just a different combination of letters and sounds, yet somehow even though describing the same object it is different for me.

Latvian word for lilac made me think of the bushes growing in my mother’s garden, it made me think of my nieces that are digging through these bushes looking for 5 leaf blossom, believing that it is the lucky one. It made me think of my sister putting them in the vase and how smell of lilac is filling her apartment and mixing with the smell of her baking.

I miss calling things in other words. I miss home. Yet at the same time, as I was sitting on the grass by the garage and talking to Clark I felt more at home than ever before. Now English word for lilac will have a meaning for me. This meaning will be about the perfect Saturday morning. Morning when I was resting from my morning run and Clark was working in the garage.