A Bit of the Boy Remains in the Man

A Bit of the Boy

Remains in the Man

The Loveliest Flower of Them All

He braved the waterlogged, weed-choked ditch

to present me the most precious gift.

Hundreds of flowers fill my yard. Some are exotic, like the orchids I tend with care. Others are native to Florida and provide food for butterflies and bees. Some are seasonal, and I anticipate their buds and blooms with each calendar change. Still others might be considered ordinary, those annual garden staples that nonetheless smile at me with their petals, scent, and upturned, colorful faces.

Yesterday, I received the gift of the loveliest flower of them all. While walking the dogs, my son braved the waterlogged, likely mosquito-larvae-choked ditch on our semi-rural road and picked the most precious flower to present to me. He’s 20, but when he handed the flower to me, part of his eyes and soul reflected the boy he once was.

Today, the petals are wilted and the color faded, but what remains is the sweet, tender love of a boy who is now a young man.