Mother's Reach

“After my father passed away, my mother said she couldn’t imagine living on her own. For months she would stay at the side of my father’s gravesite. She didn’t know what else to do. Sunburns and bug bites weren’t enough to keep her away. Despite the lingering pain and subsequent fear, my mother grew to learn that she could go on. She would call me with triumph in her voice explaining how she went to the DMV and Social Security office all on her own. She lives in Bakersfield, CA and I take the 5 North through the farmlands to visit her. On one trip to visit her, I noticed a lone tree along the highway that reminded me of her. It was in early spring and there was a tree that was just beginning to sprout. It was a new season, and despite the cold winter days, that tree and my mother still blossomed.” I’m going to have a difficult time not buying one of these.