Angel Wings

God wasn't done ~ I took a trip out of state with our youngest daughter to visit family. My brother and his wife planned a big five day adventure to the coast for all of us. A few days after we got back, it was our deceased mothers birthday. Having only been to her grave site once when I was a child, I figured I needed to go on this day. My brother decided not to go but my dad, daughter, nephew, and I still headed out for the visit. I had my daughter pick out flowers for her grandmother, that she never met, and my dad picked out flowers for his father (they are at the same cemetery). When we arrived at the cemetery, the area where my mother was buried was just as I remembered it. High up above the valley laid flat grave stones lined up in rows with magnificent pine trees lining the edge of the hill. Where she lays, there was, and still is, a gap between two pine trees that over looks the valley. It truly is the most beautiful spot. On my mothers grave stone is her name, a pretty rose mold, and then a hole where something can be planted. We dug it out a little and placed her flowers in it so they could stand. I'm going to be honest, I really didn't know what to do at a grave site. I had only ever been there once, which was the only grave site I had ever been to of someone I knew. I finally nervously said "I don't know how to do this dad," my dad graciously took the verbal lead, helping me feel more comfortable. Followed by moms visit, we traveled along the cemetery to find the veterans wall, where grandpas ashes are stored behind his plaque. The three of us watched as dad placed his fathers sunflowers and American flag on top of the veterans wall above grandpas name. With the sun majestically glowing over the flowers and flag, there was a moment of silence before dad took the verbal lead. This was a very rejuvenating visit. During this entire visit at the cemetery, I felt a heavy weight on my heart and this phrase kept reminiscing in my mind, "I need to get my brother up here." As we were leaving and got further and further away from the cemetery, it seemed to have gotten bolder and louder, "I need to get my brother up here!" As I laid down to bed, I finally asked, "But how?" I got, "Remember that time you told on him for picking your mom flowers from the neighbors rose bush without asking?...he loved giving her flowers and those were roses. See if he'd be interested in picking out a rose bush and planting it together." He was very eager about the idea. So together with our dad and our kids, we found an open greenhouse the next day. As we are looking at the rose bushes my brother pointed out the brand name of the roses...it's our birth given last name, which our mother never changed after our parents divorced. It was meant to be, so it seemed. He picked out the most beautiful red rose plant at the greenhouse, red for 'love'. That evening, my brother and I headed to the cemetery together with our moms' roses. Once again, I am amazed at moms' area. As the sun was working on setting just above the tree tops, my brother puts some tunes on and gets to work digging in moms grave stones planting spot. Once he dug out a big enough area through that little hole, we set the roses together. There was a calming peacefulness in the air as we looked up at each other and let out a sigh. Then I informed him that dad said we needed to take a selfie before I left the house. We gave each other an and "oh my gosh" awkward look, then decided to try it out. I told him that if it was too awkward we can just delete it. ...It wasn't so awkward after all. As the sun continued to set, my brother laid down on his side facing the sun. My heart was full in that moment. It's an image that a camera could not catch unless someone else was there. (Facing west) The sparrows flying above eagerly catch their evening meal as the sun puts its' evening glow along the outline of the pine trees, me (sister) standing in front of moms grave with the newly planted roses as big brother lays on his side beyond moms grave silently watching the sun set. ~ After taking our time here, my brother stood up and suggested that we go see our cousins grave site too. I loved this idea because we were pretty close when we were little for a time. We had to be quick though because the gates closed at sundown. After I led us to the wrong area, because I don't know how a cemetery works, my brother drove us to the correct area, we finally found it! ~ It had been a well needed couple of days. Though God wasn't done. At the time of me writing this, I had been back home for just less then a week. I had been busy trying to catch up at work, housework, etc...before I realized that I hadn't watered my plants in the greenhouse for way too long. Anything in pots or starters were bone dry, though savable if I watered them NOW. As I am watering the flowers in starter pots I noticed a specific flower type is finally growing and even blooming that I didn't think were going to grow because they didn't come up when all the other flower types did. As I continue to water I noticed the one bloomed is a pretty lite violet and the other that is just starting to poke out is a deep pink, almost red color...and the stem doesn't look like a regular flower stem, it looks like a rose stem. I had left the empty packet next to them so I picked it up and gave it a closer look...they are actually roses, not flowers, called Angel Wings.