B4—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 2,1983 Onbei a farm -And o hazar Joyce B A daffodil is a symbol of hope, of spring. A daffodil is a symbol of the Easter promise of eternal life. The first spring we lived here on the farm, I was overjoyed to discover that the long bank that bordered the back yard was almost bursting with daffodils. They were mostly those old* fashioned, early, double-bloom types, and had obviously been there quite a long time, probably planted by the fanner’s grand mother who had lived here many years ago. Rugged and enduring, those bulbs would send up the earliest blooms of the season, often waving their fluffy yellow heads in the biting wind, jutting out of a covering of late winter snow. Over the years, the look of the yard was changed. Lightning destroyed the ancient walnut tree, and willows took over the empty spot. Pine, forsythia, pussywillow and perennial borders are now a familiar part of the landscape. But while many have been moved, others shared, some lost and some replaced with newer varieties, descendants of those old fashioned daffodils still poke their green shoots up through the ground each spring, and color the first yellow tones in the flower beds. Like their hardy ancestors, they defiantly bloom despite ice, freezing rains, chilling winds and those occasional late, wet snows. To me, those daffodils are fti/s Dutchman « ifllMttm & rilVllllK I K® :. -';,< ~ - boy,.,hmcom*toe#tt»r., - /- \ - '■ '<, 'product-, >■ '< ; ■ ts <■ fe-f y i V/ /■ ' ’•£k flfcv <„1 > "*3>- -- >?«■ " A rj.l^ , v .. .V.. Nature’s symbol of the Easter promise. Like our faith, sometimes they lie dormant, forgotten, ignored in the overpowering rush of our day to-day lives. But always their promise is there, if we just take time to look. Dig into the soil, at any season, and that duster of bulbs will still be there, ready to burst forth with fresh new life when their proper time comes. Daffodils multiply best when divided, spread around, shared with others, and given an oc casional boost of nourishment. But left alone, untouched for years, they’ll gradually grow so think, dwelling within themselves, that they will no longer bloom and bring beauty. Aren't we the same if we neglect to share, to spread around, the Easter promise of renewed life? Like the daffodils, we need to multiply the Easter promise by dividing and sharing it with others, planting its enduring beauty and nourishing it with periodic feelings of love. May your Easter be abundantly blessed with daffodils. ifLy S" V, V \ .. . ' ¥ \ ' I?? -Tr. t '' & ;v . .<; ’"' v - '' :'.y*£ , V'-v-'v-'. ' V ■■■ X' '•> '*' '-* ' ; *' 2808 MAR'B2 •f \ y ' '' v ' S? V ;j w