... to Remember Someone Special

Sweet Violets

A dear friend visited today and brought me a posy of violets from her garden. As soon as I saw them and smelt their perfume I was reminded of my grandmother. For her birthday in August we would always give her a bunch of violets. She died over 30 years ago but seeing those delicate purple flowers brought back wonderful memories for me.
   Napoleon Bonaparte and his Empress loved violets too. When they married, Josephine's wedding dress was embroidered with the flower and on their wedding anniversaries he would present her with a bouquet of violets.
  Napoleon divorced Josephine but when he returned to France from exile, he went to Malmaison, Josephine's estate near Paris. She had died over a year before. Napoleon picked a violet flower from her garden and put it in a locket. He wore this on a chain around his neck until he died.
  Sweet sentiments such as this touch my heart.