I miss my mom! There isn't any easy way to grieve for someone who took such great care of you from the time you were born until the day she died. My mom loved orchids and she had a knack for growing them. Their beautiful blooms were the first things that greeted you when you came through the back door. They were bright and cheery and she loved them. She would always walk to the back door with you and say, "Did you see the orchids? Aren't they pretty." And then she would point out the number of new buds on each plant that were yet to bloom.
To me, orchids have always been a mysterious plant that grew in exotic places I only dreamed of visiting. When mom died, we became dedicated to keeping the orchids alive. It hasn't been an easy task as we weren't sure what her secret was in keeping them alive. Some of us took a couple of plants to our homes to try our hand at growing them. Aunt Cathy and Aunt Barbara took a couple and I am sure that the orchids are thriving at their houses. That left about four or five still at mom's home. My sweet niece Nicole, who inherited the family green thumb, took great care to go the grandma's house to water them. Lately we have all become too busy to go to grandma's to check in on the orchids and the neglect has taken its toll.
The other day I went to grandma's house--mostly because I just needed to go home--my growing up home, where like the orchids I was cared for and tended by my mother. Scott, Katie and T.J. helped me gather up the remaining orchids and I took them home and sprayed them with pesticide and watered them. I am hoping that life will spring back to them and they will recover. As for the ones in my garden window that I originally took home, they are in bloom and beautiful. I still don't know what I did to produce these results. Secretly my mom must have been working her magic. And each day I ask my family, "Did you see the orchids? Aren't they pretty." I count the buds yet to bloom and think of mom and have no doubt that she checks in on the orchids and me.
To me, orchids have always been a mysterious plant that grew in exotic places I only dreamed of visiting. When mom died, we became dedicated to keeping the orchids alive. It hasn't been an easy task as we weren't sure what her secret was in keeping them alive. Some of us took a couple of plants to our homes to try our hand at growing them. Aunt Cathy and Aunt Barbara took a couple and I am sure that the orchids are thriving at their houses. That left about four or five still at mom's home. My sweet niece Nicole, who inherited the family green thumb, took great care to go the grandma's house to water them. Lately we have all become too busy to go to grandma's to check in on the orchids and the neglect has taken its toll.
The other day I went to grandma's house--mostly because I just needed to go home--my growing up home, where like the orchids I was cared for and tended by my mother. Scott, Katie and T.J. helped me gather up the remaining orchids and I took them home and sprayed them with pesticide and watered them. I am hoping that life will spring back to them and they will recover. As for the ones in my garden window that I originally took home, they are in bloom and beautiful. I still don't know what I did to produce these results. Secretly my mom must have been working her magic. And each day I ask my family, "Did you see the orchids? Aren't they pretty." I count the buds yet to bloom and think of mom and have no doubt that she checks in on the orchids and me.
1 comment:
Beautiful! Beautiful thoughts of your mom and of the flowers! I hope yours grows just like hers. It's good to see you bloggin!! : )
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