My amazing amaryllis seems to know when I need cheering up. Years ago, when my mom died, I ignored the poor thing for almost two years as she sat in the basement, under the stairs, in the dark, with no water. (Darkness and drought are recommended to get an amaryllis to rebloom, but other than my two years of neglect, I never deprive her of light and water.)
Knowing that my time of mourning should be ending, my sweet amaryllis sent up a shoot- a reminder that life goes on and that my loving memories of my mom would surpass the sadness of losing her. Returned to life upstairs, she rewarded me with gorgeous, huge blooms.
As I mentioned in last month’s article, my distress with Kent’s West Nile virus diagnosis, complications and rehab has been all-consuming. I spent four weeks at his side in the hospital and then I was his roomie in rehab for a few days each week, coming home to recharge for a couple days mid-week for five more weeks.
One day I spent an afternoon bringing in some potted plants, including my amazing amaryllis who had her first summer vacation outside, as a gardening friend had encouraged me to let her do.
I was surprised, actually amazed, to see that she was getting ready to bloom, having produced a shoot with four buds. This is not supposed to happen. There is supposed to be a period of dormancy when all the leaves turn brown and the amaryllis bulb “sleeps.” I didn’t expect the blooms to be all that great since they looked frail and pale, not unlike Kent at the time.
I carried my amazing amaryllis in, put her in the laundry tub, gave her a drink and went back to Chicago to spend the next few days with Kent. Imagine my surprise when I returned home and her gorgeous blooms greeted me from the laundry tub!
Somehow, my amazing amaryllis “Did it again!” She seems to know when my soul needs encouragement and comes through for me. Kent is continuing to recover at home and getting stronger every day. We are so thankful for everyone who has supported us since that mosquito turned our lives upside down!
