Claudia's Plants

Claudia loved her plants. She always talked about us purchasing a house with a big yard so she could have a garden. As it was, we lived in a nice apartment in the city. The apartment had a small patio, and I purchased pots, dirt and plants for her on a regular basis.

It was interesting as, over the years, I learned that the condition of Claudia's plants always, except once, mirrored her own condition. The sicker she was, the sicker the plants were. Before her first and second coma's the plants were in pretty bad shape. I came to depend upon those plants in some small fashion to give me an additional gauge of how she was doing.

The rational side of me was sure this simply mirrored how well she was able to move about the apartment and take care of the plants. If she was feeling good, she watered them. If not, she didn't and they wilted. The romantic side of me believed firmly that the plants somehow responded to how she felt.

The one and only exception to this rule was during her last two weeks. Her plants were doing great up to and including the day she passed away. I think that's simply a measure of how quickly her body gave out in that last month of her life.

Once she had passed away, I had a decision to make. What do I do with her plants? After some thought, I decided to keep them. They were a good reminder of her life, her light and her goodness.

I purchased a trellis, some pots and additional dirt and made everything look a bit more tidy.

I found one plant that was obviously dying, in my mind, and that I didn't like very much. I threw it out, stuffing it into a trash can. As I did so, I thought I heard a scream of anger and agony from Claudia. Let me be more precise - I felt her anger. Must have been my imagination... but I didn't throw away any plants after that.

I kind of expected all of the plants to wilt and die. I've never had much of a green thumb. Much to my surprise, they thrived. I believe, in my heart, that this means that Claudia is doing well in her new little body somewhere out there in the world. The romantic side of me is sure that as the plants grow, bloom and change they will reflect Claudia's condition as she does the same.

I found a cup full of bits and pieces of plant. I wasn't sure what Claudia had planned for these, so I left them alone, just dumping a few drops of water on them every few days. In a couple of months, it was obvious they were not going to die. In fact, the plant parts sprouted roots and were doing fine in their little cup. I finally transplanted them into a pot, and they thrived.

I didn't like this plant at all. It was pretty ratty looking and threatened to fall over at any moment. However, it was hers so I watered it every couple of days. I was surprised in June when a bloom appeared! By the end of June, the plant was in full bloom. I took it as a sign that Claudia had found a new body and was doing fine adjusting to her new life. The plant still looks like it's going to fall over at any moment ... so once it's done blooming I think I'll transplant it into a safer, larger pot.