Jessica Genzer moved into my funny little basement room on the 01st day of October, 2014.  She had a rough start as a temporary resident of the Holmes House.  She backed into the neighbor’s house.  Unbeknownst to either of us, her father and my father-in-law would die within days of each other just a few short weeks later.  We boosted each other above the fray for the next three months.  By the end of the year, she had bolted for warmer climes and now resides, at least for a while, in Hawaii.

During that move-in, she set a plant at the end of the driveway and forgot about it.  As she packed for Hawaii, she realized that her plant had all but died in its stand, nestled against the outer wall of my basement.  Jessica brought the plant inside, trimmed its dead foliage, and began an effort to revive it which I offered to continue when she left for Kaneohe.

With its little dragon protectress and intriguing message, the plant thrives in my sitting room.  It shares the space with my two doggedly determined begonias, a couple of limp succulents,  a dying impatiens, and the pictures of my in-laws which cheer me in some of my darker moments.   I’ve been reminded of a fundamental concept:  Bloom where you are planted.  Reach for simple, nourishing elements: Sunlight, air, water, and good rich earth.

Thank you, Jessica Genzer, for trusting me to watch over her as she came back to life.

The words on the little yellow button sitting in the soil: “What Would Buddha Do?”