My son got me a spider plant, a cactus, and another plant for Mother’s Day. Ironically, he got me things I need to take care of on the day that recognizes all the caretaking that mothers do. I must admit, I was overwhelmed at first. The cactus made me smile because we awarded him The Prickliest Family Member some years back, and gave him a cactus statue to commemorate this. It’s one of the few things he didn’t clean out of his room one weekend when he ushered his childhood out with 10 plus storage bins. Plus, cactuses are pretty resilient I’ve heard. So, not too much of a commitment from me for that one. The other two plants, though. Now I have to remember to water them every week. And what if they get too big for their pots and aren’t comfortable anymore? Then I’ll need to figure out how to safely transplant them.

A few years back, a coworker that I shared a bathroom with had thrown away one of her spider plant clippings. When I saw it in the garbage, I took it out and put it in a cup of water, hoping there was some life still within it. I watched it, day after day on the windowsill, getting more and more brown and withered. The day I finally decided to throw it away, I actually had a pang of sadness. It was dead.

So, now I have three new family members I am responsible for the care of. I am embracing them, and have even said a few things to them as I water them. This is a great connecting point with my son and I, as we watch and talk about how they are already changing. How wonderful.