This is Cheryl and her Christmas Cactus.
This morning as I try to do some writing, she got out of bed, and came downstairs to chatter away to me like a cat needing it’s food dish filled.
One part of me is annoyed, the part that needs to be alone. But I get a lot of that these days on my breaks at work, and even while I’m driving thanks to the dictates of social distancing. I use to be able to have conversations with passengers, but now I tend to shy away from them. It usually leads to the passenger lowering their mask and standing as close as possible to talk one on one. I am very distracted by the fact that I’m breathing in their Covid19 along with the stale Rye whiskey from the night before. I’ve actually told that guy coldly to go sit down.
But another, very much larger part of me loves this unexpected morning presence. She is my wife, after all, and I treasure most of our time together.
Today she is touching my heart because she is loving this plant, not a “loving” as an inactive passive emotion 🖤 but a very active caring love, pouring over it to not only nurture, but to see it thrive.
Her mother always brought Christmas Cactus into the house. Cheryl saw one for sale in an advert, and wanted one. She found this one at our local grocery store.
We all miss her Mom so very much. And we inherited a few things from her. And it’s a very deep part of my heart that is touched by one of these. Her plants. Nobody else in the family wanted them. They take a lot of care. We took in her plants like one would take in a stray cat that needed a home. What I’m trying to say here is that our love for Rose, is what made our arms reach out and take in the plants she loved and cared for. Preserving a part of her, a very living part of her.
Cheryl is a very nurturing type of lady. There is a bevy of neighbourhood cats who come around to eat the treats from the little treat bowl she sets out. It started out with one cat in particular, and grew as all the others got word of it.
She’s not just loving this plant, but also her Mom. She doesn’t just expect a plant to sit in our kitchen and take care of itself. She’s constantly feeling it’s little rubbery leaves.
She’d noticed one day that they didn’t feel right, and so she started a Google research campaign to figure out how to bring her plant to health. She’s so like Rose! It touches my heart, Rose has moved on into Glory, as they say, but she’s very much alive and well in our home.
There are many things I love about my lady, but this is the one main thing, she is a safe place to be, a loving nurturing place.
❤️
Running Down Vimy 