Lenten Rose is here...

This is a picture of a Hellebore Plant called Lenten Rose that I took yesterday in my garden.

This plant is very special to me.

It was exactly 2 years ago my mom was battling Leukemia.

During a short time when she was at home, I wanted to cheer her up a bit, and I bought a couple of these plants for her back porch along with some pansies.

The plan was to give her as much beautiful stuff to look at to keep her spirits high.

At that point she was still at the "why is this happening to me" phase.

We did not know at that point that my Uncle Fred was a stem cell donor match for her.

We weren't pregnant with Chloe yet.

We were all dealing with her being so sick, and having to settle into our reversed rolls of taking care of her and letting her know it would be okay.

So this plant that goes into flower so early, the Lenten Rose, is in my garden and every year it comes out early to help get me through the bleak winter - that spring is right around the corner.

It's like a bit of my mom here with me...

Giving encouragement...

Letting me know that she is still here in everything I see...

Through me too because I came from her body...

Something I now understand in my heart because I have become a mother myself...

That we are always connected, no matter what...

It is in this that I find peace.

I know that there is a heaven.

And that things will be okay no matter what happens in this life.

And no matter what you believe in, that as long as you believe in something - your heart will show you the way to peace.