A Pleasant Surprise

The pure excitement of being a daddies girl has always been one of the greatest highlights of my life. I didn't have to share his time or his space that was of course until I had sons, three, then I just became one of their buddies. It was rather strange at nineteen my dad came to my apartment with five plants. I don't know what I did that gave him the impression that those plants were going to excite me besides the fact that I was girl, at least that's what I thought. But hey, for him I'll try it.

Every thing about being a daddies girl is great at nineteen until you discover you might actually be a daddies boy because at that point nothing associated with anything girly excited me. I'd much rather box on Sega genesis, it was gonna take more than a plant to get my attention. The plants were starring me in my face everyday I totally could care less and my three year old son kept feeding them juice so what's the point right. One day the plants looked as if they were doing great and the next day they looked like they were dying of slow death, even the cactus.

So what should I do, I should try to save them right, fat chance of that they weren't even at the bottom of my priority list who cares. Beside they didn't need me the kid had it under control he's feeding them juice and animal crackers I thought. So I tried to rescue them with my own interpretation of CPR. Well to my surprise I should have just let my kid continue his unusual treatment of shock in and out of life, they stood a better chance living on juice and I think they were getting use to his concept I should have just stuck to being this awesome kids mom and playing Sega.

The end result, they all died of slow miserable death.

When my dad came to visit you'd thought my teenage years caused him some sort of headache. He snapped out, yelling, "what the F Bombs did you do sweets"? Like a small child, with out laughing, " I tried to save them", I couldn't throw the kid under the bus he was three right. No the kid says, " the tree like juice" he said it four times and kept getting louder. Finally my dad caught on, that wasn't good for sure. I'm thinking little dude don't tell him about the juice. I'm talking to this kid way to much he's putting his words together to good. "Oh my God he's showing my dad how to feed the plants juice". If you could have seen the look on my dads face, nothing pretty. Little dude is blowing it for me cause dad is pissed right now. He finished his rant with, " I bet I won't buy you another plant."

Great! In my head of course I didn't like them guys (plants) anyway.

Fast forward twenty-eight years later in an empty nest and sorting through the emotions of figuring out what do I do now. Although, not hearing the sound of five Stewie's, mom, mommy, ma every eleven minutes has it's perks I miss the nurturing mothering part though.

One day last year while walking through a Home Depot with my sissy pooh to get spray paint for porch chairs. I met Sebastian the money tree. I instantly fell in love, go figure. It was a must that he came home with me to meet Sally. It was true love, not because plants were my thing, something unusual sparked in my heart.

Up until that day, Sally had been living in the same jar of water that auntie gave her to me in. That was the day because I was so in love with Sebastian and the joy I felt in my heart I attempted to apply what I seen my father do all my life with re-potting and growing plants even though I was not into it. This was the day, the new day that I would put Sally in dirt and Bastian in a bigger pot and hope that the love that was flowing from me would give them both a fighting chance. No second guessing, no doubt just pure love.

I've finally learned how to use the scissors to cut away at peaces not conducive for their growth. In some strange way It's like they know that their growth is conducive for my growth and healing. I have six now, dad bought me four, that's one more than what he gave me when I was nineteen. I'm super excited to feel my home with the pleasant surprise of natures greenery that tapped into a place in me that I didn't even know existed. Able to truly appreciate the joy that they bring now as opposed to when I was nineteen they are so needed way more than they need me. We listen to smooth jazz all the time it's kinda silly but I absolutely adore this space, I believe they do as well.

Who would have thought a day at the Home Depot would reopen my soul and create a happiness back in my heart after the three year anniversary of my eldest sons death the juice man.

I never though that I would be able to feel real joy outside of my heart for something that is not in human form especially after losing my son. I mean natural joy in my heart for this plant filled up all by itself, amazing right. I've never been good at stuff like plants so to see their growth is the best thing next to amazing in my space.

To see them grow makes me so happy that dad has started buying me plants to add to my happy collection, nothing major yet but so far so good. I never thought that I could fall in love with these little darlings but I guess with age, growth and being open to heal anything is possible. Here are my little darlings growing big and strong. As for Sebastian he is my most accomplished yet, I re-potted along with the rest, sally is a slow grower it's sort of like rebellion considering she lived in water for close to two years. I'm patient though, dad said I am doing well. How about that for a growing lady.