A persistent flower

She was indeed a persistent flower. She died several months ago, cared for by her family across the country.

A celebration of her life was held here recently. Many who were present shared her illness….Parkinson’s disease….but there were a few of us from her life before all of that.

It was a lovely ceremony. We were each asked to take a flower from a beautiful assortment and then replace it in the vase as we shared a few words about her, as we’d known her. Some recounted unique experiences, others spoke more generally but the message was the same. She was persistent, smart, funny, brave and determined.

As we left, we were asked to take a flower from the re-constructed bouquet, put it in a little water and think of our friend as the flower wilted and shed its blossoms.

I brought mine home, broke its long stem in two, put it in a bud vase, and thought that it would be gone by the next morning. That I had said good-bye.

It’s now five days later and that flower is still going strong. It’s a rose….a pinkish- white rose. The outer leaves have drifted downward but they’re still attached to the stem. There’s a core bud, strong and determined. I’ve added water to the vase three times.

Day six. It’s weakened but there’s still life. Just a little bit more water.

You don’t think for one minute I could have let that flower go until it was ready, do you? Something that persistent can’t be easily dismissed. It wasn’t particularly pretty at that point. The end of my friend’s life wasn’t either. It was tough going. Not for her, the easy life.

God speed, Suzanne.