In March of 1999, a fresh red rose was presented to me and each of my siblings in honor of my mother as we were about to depart the cemetery concluding her funeral. Arriving home later that night, I absentmindedly left the rose on the back floor of my car where it lay secretly and discreetly for over a month before rediscovering it, completely dried yet still in tact. I placed the single dried rose in an empty green vase and set it upon my kitchen windowsill where it faces eastward, greeting the sunrise of each new day.
This dried flower is not only a reminder of my mother and her beauty but also a symbol of her strength, determination and fortitude. My mother lost her struggle with cancer, but her legacy lives on for the many people that loved her and miss her still.
