I could see it budding, a tiny drop of violet. I knew the sensible thing was to pluck it out, to not have the plant energy going into this flower but rather have it form leaves, roots, green strength. But I was already in love with the idea of a purple impatiens.
I let it go and then on one of those intense days when one fears breaking, I walked into the kitchen and it was there; a perfectly formed deep violet impatiens flower grinning at me.
It is still there. For ten days it sat brightening every morning, a calm greeting in the afternoons, my companion at dishes’ time.
I was way beyond any thought of pulling it from its green stem when another perfectly formed impatiens flower popped open. Perhaps root tendrils will form, perhaps not. That no longer seems important. It is enough to have these gems now, in this moment, this day.
