Digital Only: Latter-day Saint Voices
A Gift from Mom
I was sure the amaryllis my mother had given me would never bloom again.
I scowled at the shriveled flower bulb in the pot on the floor. My mother had given me the amaryllis over a year earlier, just as she had done every Thanksgiving. Mom had a talent for making these beautiful flowers bloom Christmas after Christmas.
But not me. I had never been able to make them bloom more than once, no matter how hard I tried. This particular one had languished without so much as a hint of green for over a year. I was sure it would never bloom again. I can’t say why I didn’t throw it away, but right then, this plant reminded me of my sweet mother. She was 91 years old, and her health was going downhill. Doctors assured me that her time was growing short.
Almost as an afterthought, I dumped a little water onto the pathetic-looking flower. “Too bad Mom isn’t the one taking care of you,” I said.
I promptly forgot about the flower and lived life as best I could while my mother’s health steadily declined.
A month later, after a particularly tough visit in the hospital, I came home and happened to see the amaryllis. I was beyond shocked to see new growth peeking out from the dry layers of the bulb! I watered the flower and forgot about it once more.
Later that month, Mom died. I was filled with gratitude when I thought of all the sacrifices she had made for our family. I felt her presence with me and often thought of many sweet memories I shared with her. What I never thought about, however, was the amaryllis. Until something incredible happened.
Just before Mother’s Day, I noticed that my long-neglected flower was growing tall and strong without any help from me. It looked ready to come into full bloom six months out of season.
On Mother’s Day, one day before Mom’s birthday, the brilliant pink flower opened up once more. It felt like a gift straight from Mom. I cried, and then I sent a picture of the flower to my sisters with a text message: “Look what happened today.”
“Mom sent that to you,” they responded.
Even my son said, “I told you she was there for us!”
I have continued Mom’s tradition of giving amaryllis bulbs to my daughters and daughters-in-law each Thanksgiving. I love how these beautiful flowers bloom at Christmastime and help me remember my humble and righteous mother and the gratitude I feel for her gift of love that still sustains me today.