Carry the bag of potting soil from the trunk to the patio.
Stir the fish water and compost in with the soil.
Gingerly set the bulb, flower, and bush into its spot.
Now, sit there. And watch it grow.
My mother followed this routine continuously for sixty years.
I confess, I never got it. It seemed like a boring way to spend the day.
Talking to her little friends.
The birds, the butterflies, and the hummingbirds her favorite neighbors.
Her dog by her feet.
Her husband puttering in the garden.
Nothing was professionally done. Nothing was perfect.
It’s been ten months since her passing.
Today, I realized my efforts to create a beautiful patio,
All the toiling and the stiffness earned was for her.
Now, I make a point to sit on the patio.
I sit and watch the plants grow.
It is not boring at all.
Cindy Bruchman 