The flower that makes you feel like a woman

When I was growing up, every Christmas my mom would receive flowers for Christmas from my grandmother or aunt. Not cut flowers; these were little packaged amaryllis bulbs that my mom would grow into flowers. She would take them out of the cardboard packaging and pour water over the little compact disk of nutrients and put the plastic pot on the windowsill. In about six weeks we would see a green shoot poking up and a few weeks later have a beautiful red or white flower towering over the paper towels and counter clutter.

This year, my mom and brother came to visit around New Years and my mom brought me a amaryllis bulb in the same packaging that I saw every year as a child. She thought it was a hokey present and told me she wrapped it just so there would be more for me to open (who said that mom's don't worry about present equity when thier children are grown?!).

I hadn't thought about these flowers in years, but over the past two months, I have really enjoyed watching mine grow. It's like I have been validated as a woman. I mean, my mom used to get these when I was a kid. Now I'm getting them. I have arrived!



It doesn't hurt that the flower is just about the most beautiful I've ever seen...