My mom (Marty) and grandma both raised African Violets. I particularly remember the little plant stand in the east window of Grandma Ida Mae's house in Ada, Oklahoma. The stand had shelves of African violets which she fed, watered, and turned with care. When Grandma died in 1981, I took a pink violet home with me. Then, when my mom passed away in 1983, I took home one of her purple violets.
I've kept these plants going through the years, starting new plants from the old ones. After a move a couple of years ago, the plants got some kind of fungus and I thought I had lost all the plants from Mom's violet. But recently, a young plant bloomed and I realized that my "Marty" violet was still alive.
These plants are special -- so much more than houseplants -- they're a little bit of presence of Ida Mae and Marty ... women who helped make me who I am. I'm grateful for their presence, still with me after all these years.
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