Fifteen.

15

Wise man my father; he married my mother. 

A devout Catholic who raised five children because 

she wanted to. A self taught, well read, multi-talented 

artist who fell in love with flowers while painting still 

lives in class. A smart woman my mother; who 

cultivated several verities of Lilly she named after 

children, grand children and her mother. “Fall asleep 

with your mouth open in your mother’s house...” 

my father would say “...and you’ll wake up with 

a flower planted in it.” Gardened until she was most 

of 80. Outlived her husband by 20 years. Managed 

her investments well on her own. All but that one time 

my father woke her up in the night and told her to sell 

from the grave. She listened. Smart woman my mother.

30September2020