A Tribute To Mom

This gardenia bush was a gift from Shannon to my mother on the first Mother's Day that Mom was in an assisted living facility. It was a very small potted plant when Shannon sent it. Because the facility had very little space for plants and because the plant was yearning for sun and water, I brought it home and planted it in my garden. I have had it for three years and it has never bloomed. This year, as I approach my first Mother's Day without my mother, the bush has burst forth with ten blooms today and many more buds ready to pop. I take it as a sign that although my mother is gone, she is in yet another form that continues to bloom and thrive.