Sweet Flo

My mom's favorite flower:  Gardenia
So many of my fellow bloggers have accompanied me on the journey when Florence came to live with me in 2007 after her stroke.  There were lots of good times and some occasional bumps in the road. 
Well, no more bumps for Mom.  On Sunday as I held her hand and brushed her hair, she joined the many family and friends awaiting her arrival in heaven.  I had asked her to send me some signs that she was still around me, and this gardenia was the first one.  When I left my house on Sunday to be with her, this flower was a closed bud hardly ready to begin to bloom. When I returned, it had flowered. 
While I can't quite grasp life without her, I am certain that she is in a very peaceful place hugging people she hasn't seen for years.  At 102 years old, she had watched many family members and friends precede her on that journey into the great beyond. I kept telling her that they were all preparing a big party for her arrival, and hadn't found a space quite big enough to accommodate the crowd.
Mom was kind, thoughtful, and a beautiful person much loved by all who met her in those 102.5 years.
Unforgettable.  God bless her and keep her safe.