In 1995 my very dear friend Carolyn, gave me a Zygocactus otherwise know as the Christmas Cactus. Although it was small, it was still full of beautiful pink and white blooms and I loved it more than the most popular holiday plant known as the poinsettia which were decorating my house for the holidays. Shortly after that Christmas my friend Carolyn was diagnosed with lung cancer and passed away in the spring of 1996. The following year, my little Christmas cactus failed to bloom around Christmas but I nurtured it just the same. Later that spring, one faithful bloom appeared on the anniversary of the death of my friend. I called my other best friend whom loved Carolyn dearly and let her know about the special little bloom and we both shared a cry and a laugh and determined that an angel was watching over.
Every year after that around Christmas or shortly there after a solitary bloom comes out on my little Christmas Cactus and I smile at the thought of that special angel looking down on me. A few days ago the most beautiful solitary bloom burst out of the cactus for this season as a reminder that there doesn't have to be lots of blooms on a flower for it to be beautiful. Just one very special one.
