A Single Rose

Twenty-one years ago today, a little girl was born. She was gracefully placed into the arms of a loving family and I went home carrying a single rose. This day in history is filled with bittersweet memories and true love of the greatest kind.

At the time, it felt right to keep things personal in order to let me heal.  Over time, however, as I shared this wonderful blessing with family and friends, I have made and kept some of the most amazing friends who, more often than not, have been touched in some way by adoption. 

I'll be happy to share more details with you if you feel you want to know, so feel free to message me about it. But the focus of today's post is the blessing I received in plain clothes while walking the dogs.

I set out prepared to get a picture of a single rose for my art entry today. I leashed the dogs, packed a plastic baggie, rolled up a square foot of black cardstock, slipped my phone in my sweatshirt pocket, and headed out for a walk. The mornings have been misty and cool, and today was just that.


I love roses and have my favorites around the neighborhood.


The first rose was hot pink and had some sweet dew drops clinging to its petals. It was just aside the walk and I felt a little funny at the thought of pulling out the black paper, so I just got the picture and walked away with the dogs. They were happy for some new sniffing areas.

In my mind, I hoped the family at the next place would still be sleeping. I have admired their roses since I moved here a year ago, but they have changed the paint color and their landscape since they moved in a few months ago. There used to be so many different colors and varieties of roses that smelled just as good as they looked. Now, there are only white ones and a few reds left.

Whoa. No, the family was not sleeping - they were tearing out the last of the red rose bushes!
Oh, my heart sank.
I tried not to gawk, but I just couldn't look away. The woman had greeted me, "Good morning," and I said the same. I kept trying to look away, but I was magnetized.  Her husband was asking her questions like, "Are you going to take out all of the roses from the front?"and "Are you putting that yard waste in the garbage can?" and she answered "yes" with emphasis.

Oh, I just couldn't believe it. They were going to be trashed.

We walked a few paces past the house and I just had a feeling. We made an about-face and went back to speak with the woman. Her two kids were there and the boy was helping her fill in bricks where the roses once stood.

"Are you taking out the roses?" I asked. I bet my weird quizzical kind of face was showing.
"Yes, we have so many of them and I wanted to have chairs out here so we can watch the kids play in front. Why, are you interested?"
"Yes," and I put my right hand on my chest, "I've been admiring the roses here since I moved here a year ago."
"Well you can have them if you want them," and she smiled. "I'll be happy to know they have gone to someone who appreciates them."
"Ok, I'll be back in a little while."
"Sounds good!"

The dogs and I walked to the park and I got a couple of shots with the black paper. Then we headed home.

First attempt with black paper.

After cropping the picture, later at home.

After the dogs were home and treated to cookies, I got in my car and drove up the street. I had no idea what size container to bring, but I knew the root ball of the mature rose bush was huge.  The homeowner's name is Kay and she was still digging when I got there. We started chatting right away.

We talked about moving here, the neighborhood, the "patriarch" across the street, and her roses. I told her that even though I had just met her today, I wanted to share the fact that twenty-one years ago, I had a daughter and placed her for adoption. I shared the story of the single rose and how totally blessed I felt as I was about to be given twenty-one roses on her birthday. Kay was moved to share how she and her husband have worked on adoption ministries through their church and hope to adopt one day. She said adoption, and everything related to it, is their heart.

My blessing kept getting bigger.

We talked about my 365 art project, how I waited so long to find work, how I have part-time work now and am looking for more. She talked through some ideas and mentioned something else about her church- Her husband is a musician. I couldn't believe the coincidence. So I shared that I play the saxophone and about teaching music lessons all over Minnesota. And they have been looking for someone to teach their kids piano lessons. Gah.

I asked about their church and she told me it is a Vineyard Church.

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. God puts people in our lives for a reason and sometimes He just has to smack me upside the head. So I told her about how my girl, Laura, leads worship in HER Vineyard church in Chicago and how she served in Mazatlan for a year. The Vineyard Churches are all connected. What an awesome day.

It still gives me chills.

This is not made up. I couldn't have made it up that well. It seriously has me stunned and I am so thankful for having asked about the roses. I have not only twenty-one roses, but new friends, and the promise that God is here with me, always, no matter how bittersweet I had thought the day might be.

The roses have found a home here with me. I have written about blooming where I am planted and I hope I will have treated the roses well enough so they do. With the right care and food, their basic needs will be met, and well, prayers never hurt nobody.

Happy Birthday, dear Laura, Happy Birthday, to you!

Our house with the rose bushes.  The one under the window has no blooms, but it is also a rose bush. I didn't clean up before the shot because I used this as an "imperfect" shot for #themomentschallenge at Daisy Yellow. 

Another "black room" shot in the outdoors.

After cropping. So awesome.