My Mother’s Flowers Still Bloom

Many years ago, my mother was in the hospital 250 miles away from where I lived. When I visited her, I noticed a container with daffodils on the nightstand beside her bed. However, the blooms were dead and the stems brown.

Mom said, “Now, Vonda, you take these daffodils home and plant the bulbs. They will come back up next spring.” Mom certainly knows about flowers, I thought. I will do as she asks, and then I will see what pops up from the soil next spring.

I followed through on my mom’s instructions to the best of my ability. I even put the leftover planting soil from the daffodil container into the ground at home when I planted the bulbs. All winter long, the bulbs “slept” in the soil.

Then spring arrived. What a blessing I was in for! The flowers that pushed through the soil that year were delicate, tiny, beautiful “baby” daffodils.

Oh, how I loved those daffodils, and what a delight when I looked at them and thought of my dear, sweet mom —of her life and giving! As the years went by, the daffodil bulbs doubled and doubled again. I dug them and spread them on the edge of my flower garden. They continued to multiply, allowing me to share them with family and friends many times. Through the years, my mom would often say to me, “Vonda, go out there and dig some of those lilies” (or any other perennial she might have growing).

She even had me dig a bit of the old rosebush that grandpa had and said to take care of it as it was very old. Today, when I stepped outside and saw my mother’s flowers blooming, I realized that all my mother had to give me years ago was her flowers. But she gave gifts that still give hope and glory in the many years since her passing.

My mom knew life was in those dead-looking flowers, just as there will be life anew in us when Jesus comes to redeem His flock.

How I look forward to seeing Mom again and planting flowers with her and discovering all the things that God will have for us to do in His kingdom.

Avonda White-Krause.