A Blog Card for My Mom – Happy Mother’s Day
May 10th, 2009 by kathy
Some people rescue sick pets. My mom rescues sick plants. 
You’ve probably seen them. They’re the ones on the discount cart at Lowe’s. Tattered and neglected, my mom takes them home and lovingly nurses them back to vibrant health. There was a time in my life when it was painfully apparent that her green thumb was not passed on to me. We laugh now when we reminisce about how the few plants I didn’t kill outright ended up in her Plant Hospital. I manage to keep plants alive now, but my Mom’s thumb will always be greener. My mom is a talented and gifted woman and gardening is one of her passions. One of my daughters even asked me once if she would love plants as much as Meemaw when she got older. Yes, it’s in our genes.
No visit to Mom’s is complete without a tour of the yard to see what new plants she has, what’s blooming, or seeing the transformation of her vegetable garden. Pink amaryllis and hibiscus added a brush of femininity to her yard on this visit and the trio of violets she keeps in the kitchen windowsill are a constant proliferation of welcoming purple joy.
A while back I had the opportunity to help my mom repot some ficus trees. Working together as the morning sun warmed our skin, I had such a sense of well-being. Not just from doing something we enjoyed, but from the closeness and love between mother and daughter. Of just spending time together in simple pleasures.
Now that her trees were done, Mom set to work repotting her neighbors trees too. Generosity is just one of the many
gifts Mom passed on to me. Others are a strong work ethic, honesty, resiliency, persistence, and patience. And how to use a shovel. No offense to the First Lady, but we had a good laugh as we watched Mrs. Obama use a shovel to break ground for the White House vegetable garden on the news the night before. It didn’t look like her mom taught her how to use a shovel.
I learned how to be a strong, independent woman from my mom. She taught me the skills to take care of myself and care for others. Thanks Mom – you’re the best. Happy Mother’s Day. I love you.
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What a wonderful Mother’s Day you had! Gardening is a family affair here, my husband tills and rakes out the soil, my daughters and I set the plants in the earth. For the next few months, you’ll find us out in the garden watering, weeding, fertilizing, and yes, you’re right, it’s not really about that. It’s about being together, talking, connecting, beneath the sun.
Joanne’s last blog post..Mosaic
Your mum looks as though she loves every bit of shoveling and gardening. Her garden must be gorgeous.
Brigit’s last blog post..Rainbows