This is for our Grandchildren and our Children, and the “Child” in all of us.
In the winter of 2000, when Grandpa Perry was sick and in the Hospital, I came up from Florida and visited with him, and with Grandma Nellie, my mother, who seldom left his bedside. We had a nice visit and Daddy seemed to be stronger. Grandma stayed with me at the Fairfield Motel, and one afternoon she felt she should go home and do the necessary things-water the plants, gather in their mail. We told Dad ,who agreed he would be fine, and off we went to Gladwin.
I began to water plants-Grandma used to love plants and had many. She had a real green thumb, and Grandpa liked the flowers, also. They had a really great collection of Orchids. Mama did everything wrong (according to the book) but they bloomed all over the place! They had stopped for the winter, I smiled remembering all the beauty as I began in the living room to water her ‘garden‘.
I was surprised to find that the big Cattleya (“Corsage Orchid”) was in full bloom! There were four blossoms, big. purple throated pristine white showy blooms. When Mama came in with mail, I asked her when it started blooming (Orchids bloom one flower after another), and she said that she didn’t know, it had never bloomed before.
I turned the plant as I watered it, and was surprised to find that one of the blooms was double! (Twin bloom?) One for each of us children, I thought. We sat and admired it while mama quickly sorted thru the mail ,but her heart was with Daddy. We even talked about taking it down for Daddy to see, but decided against it because of it‘s size. We enjoyed it for a few more minutes as we did necessary things, then left to return to the hospital. I think I mentioned it to my four siblings after our father passed away a few months later, but I had not taken a picture of it.
The day after Mama's funeral, when we had returned to our home I was talking to Lynn on the phone. I pulled open the blind in the bedroom and looked out at the snowy landscape. Nothing very comforting, just winter coming too soon. Oak leaves still drifted down. Even the poor wheelbarrow was not yet put in the garage. I walked away and sat on the bed. I stared out as I visited. Then I saw something yellow against the bleak picture. By now Jim was on the other phone and I told them I thought the Forsythia was blooming. Lynn told Jim to see what I was sipping!
Well, I put on my sweater and went outside. This poor, ratty little bush usually gets trimmed back each summer, and each summer it sends two or three shoots clear up over the porch rails, and we just leave it until it blooms in the spring. There were four blooms. I stared at it, and I remembered the Orchid. I walked closer, and scanned each branch. Come on, I whispered to it, where is number five? No doubles, but just as I was giving up, I found a big plump yellow bud on a smaller branch. Five!
This time, I just went back inside, and I picked up my camera, so now you know I am not dreaming.
Flowers from Angels? You decide.
Grandma/Aunt/Great Aunt Sharon
P.S. Did YOU look in your garden???
The day just didn't seem to end for me after the funeral, in fact, I just wanted to stay in the church and listen to the great memories that all of you had. I knew it had to end.
