Amaryllis

I could get all philosophical about all of the symbolism of an amaryllis and Christmas; but instead I'll share a bit about a family tradition. Every Thanksgiving, my grandmother gives all of the girls in the family an amaryllis bulb. It's always fun to see who's will actually bloom by Christmas, how many blooms everyone will get, or even how many stalks each one will have. By now, the boys have started looking forward to our amaryllis too and are so excited as it grows and starts to bloom. We had a late bloomer this year, and it just opened this week. Initially, I thought that it was a bit disappointing that it wasn't blooming for our Christmas party; but as I stopped to admire it, I realized that for me, the amaryllis is no longer just a pretty Christmas flower. It is a symbol of my grandmother and a beautiful reminder of her love for our families. I pray that we may we have many more beautiful blooms in the years to come.