Mama’s Roses

Back last year before “the Covid” my mom, sister and I saw that Emmylou Harris was coming to Huntsville and my mom said she would treat me for my birthday present.

Well the Covid hit and her tour sadly got canceled so we were not able to go, but anyone that bought tickets could do the virtual concert; that to us just didn’t sound the same as actually being there so my mom got the money back for the tickets and said she would just give me the money for my birthday present and I could either save it for when all this Covid stuff went away or spend it on something else.

Well, a few weeks before my mom passed away she kept telling me, to remind her not to forget to give me my birthday money, otherwise she would forget. I thought that was rather odd; she told me at mid-June and my birthday wasn’t until the 4th of August?

There were two other times that she told me this, not to forget to remind her to give me my birthday money. I was thinking, was she going somewhere on my birthday? Was she planning on a longer trip at the beach? Why was it she was so set on giving me my birthday present before my actual birthday? She’d never done that before? Did she have a vision before the trip? Did she suspect or have a dream that something was gonna happen to her? These are questions I have asked myself over and over again. I guess I won’t know till I get to heaven.

Well, my birthday came and went and my dad found the stash of money my mom had left for me, he gave it to me, and honestly I didn’t know what to do with it. So I stuck it in my wallet and left it there so unsure and confused. I didn’t want to spend it because it was one of the last things she “gave” me. Not physically, though looking back I wish I had just swallowed my pride and let her give it to me when she wanted to the first time she told me or the last. She could have had the joy of seeing my face light up when she gave it to me. But I can’t really dwell on that.

Months passed, still stuck in my wallet. Covid was still rampant. No sign of EmmyLou coming to town. Then one day after walking around looking and picking out flowers for work for our front flower pots, a thought came to me, pop-out roses! Mama loved her pop-out roses! And she was an amazing Master Gardener and a real one at that.

That’s what I was gonna spend my money on!

Since Spencer and I bought this house, this was one of the best parts about having a home of our own, front flower beds, the perfect blank canvas for those pop-out roses! So, I was so glad to purchase roses in honor of my mom so the beauty of those flowers she loved so much could be planted and enjoyed for all the time we are here. And every time I see them, I can remember the many memories of watching her working around in her garden and seeing those beauties show off God’s glory and wonder!