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Randy's
Roses
Randy and
Gwen married and lived in a little valley along the coast, north
of San Francisco. Gwen loved the ocean. She had lived in balmy
Hawaii most of her life before moving to cooler Northern
California and marrying Randy.
Randy commemorated each of their ten wedding anniversaries by
bringing home a rosebush and planting it for Gwen in their
backyard. Over the years their yard became a rainbow of fragrant
roses.
Randy took care of his sweetheart when she was diagnosed with
cancer. She passed away at home, in the comfort of her own bed,
with Randy by her side.
Per Gwen's wishes her body was cremated and Randy scattered her
ashes in the Pacific Ocean. Along with her cremains, Randy
floated a beautiful floral lei to catch the westward currents
from San Francisco to Gwen's beloved Hawaiian Islands.
But Randy saved a few of the cremains for himself and stopped by
the local nursery on his way home from the shore. He lovingly
selected a new variety of rosebush and took it home.
Once home he prepared a hole deep enough to ensure that the
new rosebush would grow. He took the remaining portion of his
sweetheart's cremains and placed them among the rose's bare
roots, then tampered the soil around the young plant.
Two years have passed since Randy released Gwen's cremains to
the Pacific currents. After work each day he returns to their
back yard and quietly waters the garden. The new rosebush
thrives.
This is a true story from the lives of PMP Pals.
An Excerpt
from "Where the Red Tailed Hawk Flies"
Copyright 1999 by Gabriella Graham |
