Reflecting on Mentors, Revisited

I'm thinking about my family elders who have passed.

As is common for all of us, I was shaped by these early mentors. While I'm NOT a painter, I certainly appreciate art, and the framed painting shown here was created by my paternal grandmother. I've shared a bit about her over the years, including this past post published when my mother died.

My father died recently, of congestive heart failure. And while I'm missing him terribly, he had a nice, long life (91) and was calm and comfortable in his final hours. It's always hard to say goodbye, but I'm reflecting now on all the influences he had on my life over the years.

Dad was a birder. Before he became nearly blind, he could identify most common native Midwestern birds by sight, and he recognized many of them by song, as well.

He was a scouting executive during my formative years, so we spent a lot of time at outdoor scouting events.

He appreciated, and cared about, the natural world. And he worked, played, and volunteered in several capacities over the years to show respect for it, and to help sustain it.

I could go on for many paragraphs about what a great papa and person he was and how much I miss him, but a short synopsis is that he was a very good man. I apologize for being away from blogging for a bit, but I'm slowly working my way back.

Hold tight to those you love, and listen to their stories. You will treasure them when they pass.

Reflecting on Gardening Mentors

Dear gardening friends: I've been holding off on blogging and visiting my favorite blogs for some time now. My mom passed in July. I won't go into the details because there's just too much. Plus, we all face death at some time or another, so you all know how difficult it is to lose someone you love. She didn't die from COVID-19, although that certainly complicated things.

Anyway, my emotions are a little ragged, life has been a little crazy, and we're still busy with this and that. I'm just now getting back to thinking about blogging. I love it, and I love your blogs, too. I do plan for many plant conversations in the months ahead!

My mom, my paternal grandmother, and my dad were my first gardening and nature influencers and mentors. Mom was a gardener (she always had beautiful borders and interesting plants) and Dad was a Boy Scout executive (he helped me appreciate nature at a very early age). (Dad is still with us, and he certainly is facing adjustments of his own.) Grandma was a gardener, plant-lover, and painter. The vase with flowers shown here was one Grandma painted, Dad framed, and Mom appreciated enough to hang on her bedroom wall. I am honored and blessed to be able to display it in my own home now to remember them all.

Thank you for being patient with me. Garden bloggers and writers are truly special. I appreciate you all!