My sister gave me an orchid. It’s a lovely lavender color. I was afraid at first. Aren’t orchids complicated to grow? I don’t have a green thumb, and have only had plants thrive when they require no care, lol, except watering. In my house in CT, I had two skylights in the living room, and the plants loved it. I watered them once a week, and fed them maybe every couple of months and they loved it there. But that was my only real success at growing things indoors. I’ve had a fairly successful herb garden outside, but that again, required little care. Watering, feeding and once in a great while, weeding.

Anyway, I expressed my reluctance over having an orchid to my sister, and she said, “Oh they’re the perfect indoor plant! They thrive on neglect!” I just stared at her like, um, I doubt it….. She told me, yes, just check the soil once a week and if it seems dry put a few ice cubes on it. Keep it out of direct sunlight.”

I’ve followed those instructions, and I’ve had it 3 weeks now, and it has not even begun to die! Whoo Hoo!

She did tell me though, that it will go through a stages. That there will be times it looks dead, like just forget it, and you’ll be about to throw it out, but don’t. Suddenly it will burst back to life.

So that’s somewhat reassuring, that when I think it’s dead, it won’t be, it will just be resting.

It’s a hopeful plant, then. You don’t have to lose hope, and it springs back to life. And….I know this is true, because she has quite a few of them, and when I got here, I didn’t know what they were. They were in a shady part of her garden, but where they could still get rain. It’s where she left them when she left for the summer. I got here in September.

I remember seeing them grouped together in their separate pots. I thought well, those are dead, whatever they are, she’ll have to throw those out when she gets here.

Now they are flowering beautifully again.

I guess we can all, even plants, be reborn into a beautiful life. That’s what Florida has done for me. I feel reborn. The stress of work, of relationships that didn’t work, of dealing with cold and snow by myself….are gone, and been replaced with warm weather, many new friends, new and different ways to spend my time.  I miss my son, but that’s a sweet loving emotion, because we talk every day, and he’s doing so well in Colorado.  Life is beautiful, just like my orchid.

Love and light, all.

My Orchid