ljmorris.net http://ljmorris.net/blog Sat, 26 Feb 2011 08:50:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 Home http://ljmorris.net/blog/hom http://ljmorris.net/blog/hom#comments Sat, 26 Feb 2011 07:20:10 +0000 http://ljmorris.net/blog/?p=1 Many years ago, a neighbor gave us a night-blooming cereus that was practically dead. For years, we kept it watered, but it didn’t do a thing but make long, gangly leaves that stretched toward the ceiling.
We were told this cactus plant bloomed only every 7 years, and, since it is a desert plant, the blooms open at night and last only till morning. So we were very excited when, after about 4 years, we finally saw a single bud. But one day, when my husband was gone, I was sort of poking at the bud, and it fell off. I thought to glue it back on the plant before my husband came home, but my dog, Arthur, ate it.


All turned out well, though. We soon had several buds, and they bloomed! When the bud is ready to open, it waits till night time. Then this plant makes a white/pink lily that is fully 8 inches across. And the fragrance! It’s intoxicating! However, the flower is short lived. When the sun comes up, the flower is wilted and gone.


Our plants (there are several now) are now in the basement in a large window that looks out onto the pasture. One day this week, just after sunset, I was going down to do laundry, and I could smell the perfume from the top of the stairs. I found we had one single bloom. This time, I picked it, put it in water, and brought it upstairs, even though I knew it would be gone in the morning.
Sometimes the most precious things in life are with us only a short time, so we have to pay attention and treasure them while they are here.
This flower, like so many things in life that are fleeting, is still a wondrous gift!

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