Impatiens

                I had a unique and special guest arriving in the Light of May.  To honour this guest I wanted to set the stage in every way I could.  Part of this effort was to buy flowers for the garden.  I found a beautiful flat of bright red impatiens at a local garden centre, one annexed to a popular grocery store.  Happily I bought the entire flat of flowers and a couple pots of other species - piled them all in the back of my sportscar and headed home.
                It seized upon me to dig into the dirt immediately and so I did.  What pleasure that brought me!  My hands and arms muscled their way through the compacted dirt in the huge pots aligned like ornamental lions on either side of the stairs to the entryway.  It felt vigourous and strong to plunge into the earth and then delicate and sweet making sure the new guests, the impatiens, felt comfy in their new beds.
               Weeks later the owner came by and knocked on the door.  Mind you, my visitor had come and gone by then (without mention of the impatiens display) and so I open the door.   "I just wanted to thank you very much for planting these flowers in the front here.  It makes me happy to see them," he said.  He looked tender and sincere.  I replied that I was happy to do so and appreciated him telling me.  (I refrained from telling him that they'd been there for some time already).  A few days later, he came by and gave me $10 saying that he had found it on the ground outside.  I smiled and thanked him.
                I sit here, September, and these impatiens are still growing strong.  They bloomed magnificently for months  - spilling over the sides of the giant pots.  I love how their colour matches the door.  It makes me happy.

Exercise:  Flow Writing - Pick a tangible object from your surroundings and use it as the opening image in your entry.  Let your mind free-associate from one thought to the next.  Write for a specific period of time.   [Life's Companion by Christina Baldwin pg. 24]

Comments

[Melissa]

Impatiens are the best - I've often planted them, myself, and love the tangy scent of their leaves mixed with the smell of damp earth.