Momma was a true Southern woman. She was serious about her gardening. She loved wearing her big ol' flowerdy floppy hat when she was digging in the dirt. Nothing made her happier than being outside in her flowers. She had the biggest green thumb. There wasn't a flower that she couldn't make bloom bigger, brighter and more often. She loved flowers and flowers loved her. Momma called them Earth's little miracles! She always said that every flower must go through some dirt to bloom.

Momma loved to take trips with me to the garden center at Walmart. We had such fun looking at the flowers and picking out just the perfect ones. No yard looks ordinary when flowers are present. I learned a lot from her but I always knew I'd never have her knack for growing beautiful bloomers. Doesn't stop me from trying though.

Since Momma went home, I haven't had it in me to go flower shopping. I haven't been ready and just didn’t want to go without her. I finally convinced myself that only when I experienced my garden center emotions would I be able to live more fully in the present and go into the future with courage and hope.

It took me 2 1/2 years to finally decide to venture to the Walmart garden center alone, without her. I'm not really sure what I expected. Maybe a flood of emotions, like a racing heart, butterflies in my stomach, gut wretching pain, uncontrollable tears, overwhelming sadness, maybe worse. But what I didn't expect was to feel like a kid in a candy store. But that's how I felt. So many beautiful flowers! I was happy and so excited! Not sad at all!

I looked at the flowers, touched them, smelled them, talked to them. And as I picked up each different flower, I could hear a voice in my head, Momma’s voice, saying, ”Those need full sun... This one needs part shade... That one is really hardy... Don’t even think about that one, you’d kill it!... Yep, that's the one, get it. It's drought resistant! It can take you forgetting to water it.” Right there in the garden center I teared up a little. But really, all I could do was smile!

Don’t let your memories stay memories. Make them live again!