The New Domesticity: The Message of the Daffodils

Last October, my daughter and I knelt at the base of the birch tree trio in our front yard. With bulbs and trowel in hand, we dug into the earth and dropped the brown, papery promises into the ground. I imagined what might be in store for us, come spring. The hope of merry daffodils dancing among my favorite trees gladdened my heart that cool October day.

Just days after planting my bulbs, I was again busy with my sowing, this time nurturing a different kind of seed: it was time to determine my 2020 topics for “The New Domesticity.” Each monthly topic was a seed which I hoped would come to fruition, bringing color and beauty to the hearts and minds of my readers (you!). Just as I wondered what might be in store for us come daffodil time, so did I wonder what life would look like when writing throughout 2020. 

These autumn hopes carried me through the winter. Calendar pages turned, and I pegged away at my January article, followed in due time by my February piece. As the earth slowly started to warm, I also made frequent glances toward the birch trees. Anything? Not yet. Winter died away, I wrote a couple more articles, and I faithfully remained on the lookout for my daffodils.

And then, suddenly, no one was thinking about daffodils anymore. Our collective attention shifted, and we jointly focused on an unprecedented event.

Read the rest of this article in the full digital issue below.