Well, to the outside reader, today's entry might appear a bit strange, maybe even intrusive into my daughter's life. However, it was her idea and since I was once again struggling with what to write, I'm going to take her idea and run with it. Let's all just hope she doesn't regret her suggestion later. . .
July 1 is her birthday and last summer she turned 19. For months before her birthday she made comments about all the potted orchids we saw at the local grocery store. They came in a a variety of pretty colors - white with purple spots, mauves, yellows. Their delicate blooms teetered on splindly green branches and she was entranced with their beauty and simplicity. I determined that one of those graceful beauties would brighten her birthday celebration.
Who would have thunk that her young man would also have the same thought. Like minds think alike (ssshhh, and our minds do run in parallel universes, strangely enough).
So just a few days before her birthday my youngest daughter, Brinna, & I surveyed the selection and picked a lovely white flower (Phalaenopsis) with mauve accents.
The night before her birthday her young man drove in from Kansas City long after she had gone to bed so he could surprise her the next morning for her birthday. Yes, you guessed it - he toted a large pot carrying another Phalaenopsis orchid in bright pink with dark pink spots. I snapped a photo of it outside her door--patiently awaiting her discovery.
The two plants bloomed for about a month, then shed their colorful ornaments. The last several months, these two orchids have adorned our kitchen counter--dormant spiky stems sticking hither and yon. We trimmed them back as instructed and kept up our regimented ice cube watering but month and after tortuous month, the stems still taunted us with their barrenness. Everything we read said the flowers would be dormant for three months, but after six months my poor daughter was becoming distraught.
Then, all of a sudden a couple of weeks ago, tiny buds began to form on one of the top stems. We watched in wonder each day hoping for the blooms to open, but the bulbs only got bigger. Then last week, my lovely daughter faced several challenges that threatened her very soul. By week's end, she was worn out, only to greet a lovely pink bloom that grew and expanded as Friday matured.
And, sweetly enough, it all coincided with another visit from her young man - just as it did 8 months ago.
Guess I'm just a sappy old romantic, but I can't help thinking about the joy that bloom brought to my daughter. It continues to be a symbol of patience, love eternal, and hope.
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