A Special Christmas Gift

My mum had a green thumb and my childhood home was filled with all manner of houseplants.  Everywhere you looked there were houseplants. Upstairs, downstairs, on the stairway landings, hanging in windows, trailing across the wall, you name the place and there was a plant there.  I did not have the same appreciation for them as my mother did, at least not at that point in time.  Not only where they indoors but mum's plants were outside as well weather permitting. And then during the winter there were plants down in the dirt cellar 'resting'.   Every year she'd bring the dead looking geraniums up from the cellar and before I knew it, they were all in full bloom looking more beautiful than ever.  The plants on my dad's graveside were also those of my mother.  She had a planter of her favorite plants that she would place there in the spring, take care of it throughout the warmer months, then bring it home to tend during the winter months. 

The furniture in our home were primarily all antiques; at least I know they were all very very old as she'd inherited them from her uncle and aunt.  The house being a Colonial several centuries old the attic was a delight to explore, just like my mum's bedroom was!  Her furniture included a very old Singer treadle machine and on top of that, sat her true pride and joy of all the plants - her Christmas Cactus. 

Now I know her cactus and the pot it was in had some age on it.  I think this too had belonged to her aunt and uncle. I have a very old black and white baby picture of my mom with this same pot and plant in the background.  It blossomed every Christmas without fail for as long as I could remember. She did not often (ever?) move the location of the plant. The temperature and light condition of my mother's upstairs bedroom overlooking the ocean offered the perfect environment.  That, and her green thumb, must have contributed to the longevity of her plant long after her relatives had passed away.

In 1988 my childhood home caught on fire. I will never forget the frantic call from my mother in the middle of the night crying that the house was on fire.  We drove over in a panic to find the firetrucks there and the firemen working hard to put the fire out which had nearly consumed our home.  I didn't know where my mom was and of course was trying to locate her.  Finally I learned she was safe and warm sitting with one of her neighbors but visibly shaken.  She was almost 70 years old.  My niece and nephew were also there and thank God they both got out of the house safely, my nephew helping mum down the stairs.  It was a terrible awful thing to go through.

1988 turned into 1989 and in the weeks and months to come the fire damage was assessed and all that entails. Most of that is a blur because my mother also suffered a major heart attack during that time and had triple bypass surgery.  As 1989 drew to a close, I also sensed my mom's time here on earth was doing the same.  Mum was so happy when her Christmas cactus blossomed again that year!  Evidence that it had indeed survived the fire from the year before, just as she had done.  It was the last time however we would see the Christmas cactus in bloom.  It was also mum's last Christmas for she died the following month, leaving me with a great big hole in my heart. I found solace though in knowing she was once again lying next to my dad as she was laid to rest by his side, together in the care of our Lord, and I know..."there will come a day."

Life changed as we all know it from that point on.  Along the way most of my mother's plants that had survived the fire were moved over to our house as her home was sold.  I never had a green thumb but I had a new appreciation for the commitment to my mums plants and truly gave them my personal best.  As time went on though, despite the best efforts the plants did not survive. I gave some to one of my nieces who did well keeping a couple of them going for awhile.  I did my best with Christmas cactus, learning about it's unique care and waited for it to blossom that Christmas, the year my mother died.

That was 1990.  Mum's Christmas cactus never bloomed.  Over 20 years later John and I moved and left the Christmas cactus for our daughter to care for. It was barely alive with just one frail branch trying to grow but she did manage to keep it from dying.  And every year we'd all look for signs of blossoming.  Mum's Christmas cactus never bloomed with 8 years of our daughter caring for it. 

As time goes on lives change, people move, families grow but we all know that the heart still goes on, that love never dies. So much of what happens in our life we are just not prepared for. But somehow we get through the tough times and we rejoice in the glad times. I think a key to peace of mind and having joy in our hearts truly is found by trusting God no matter what.  Which is never ever easy. Even more difficult is praising Him in the good times and in the bad.  I feel it's important to make a deliberate choice each morning when we get up whether we're going to remain stuck in the struggles of life or instead, rejoice in the blessings around us. For things could always be worse and there are always people whose lives are in much more turmoil. Sometime we can help them, other times we can't. I think there's a good reason to count our blessings, name them one by one.  Otherwise it's too easy to take them for granted or lose track of them all together.  There's a beautiful song called "Blessings" which would fit in well with what I am sharing here... (I hope you listen to it.)

As I've been counting my blessings this Christmas I am thankful so many things.  The love of my wonderful husband, our children and grandchildren; our health is not too bad; we can put food on the table; we have a wonderful circle of friends; we have a roof over our head; our children and their families are doing well; and yes of course our beautiful, loving Brittany dogs.  There is the added blessing of knowing our son will begin his ministry this Christmas Eve with his first service, a service which I will play music at. (My mum was a pianist who played by ear and I grew up loving to hear her sing and play!)  Last but not least, my nephew has moved back home to New Hampshire after living down south for many, many years which has made me very happy - and even more so because he is a new daddy, with a sweet little son born a couple of months ago. "Eli" is very much loved by his mommy and daddy, and so many of us!!

This weekend Maryann was here and very excited about some pictures she wanted me to see.  As I looked at the photographs I could hardly believe my eyes. She was telling me how 'Gram's Christmas Cactus" was in bloom!!!   I stood there staring in disbelief and my eyes began to fill with tears.  I couldn't believe it.  Maryann knew it hadn't blossomed in the 8 years she had it so she was just as happy as I was. She didn't realize however that it had not bloomed since 1990 when my mother died so I told her the story behind it.

God works in mysterious ways.  After my mom's death so many years ago I experienced a few 'things' that were private and special, but things that let me know our love for each other was alive and well - she just was in 'another place'.

My thoughts are especially sensitive towards memories of my mum at this time of year and understandably so.  I'm sure some of 'you' out there can relate.  As special as some of the blessings are in my own life right now, these same blessings would be just as special if not more so to my mother. Blessings which I would give anything to have been able to share with her throughout the many years she has been gone.  I'm thanking God for this special Christmas gift of mum's Christmas cactus blossoming because I can see the reality of not on His love - but hers too.  A simple thing with such great significance for our family. A very special Christmas gift indeed.

We hope you and yours will have a wonderful happy Christmas!  Enjoy your loved ones and appreciate what you do have, and make time to see the reality of God's love which is with us - not only at Christmas, but every moment of our lives.  Merry Christmas!  John, Ann, and All Things Brittany