I’m worried about your Purple Shamrock Plant (Oxalis)! This delicate purple flowering plant that you got from your cousin Sam doesn’t look so good. Usually, it is full and tall with stems that stand up straight and reach for the sunlight. You placed the beautiful ceramic pot on a turntable on the kitchen table by the big picture window so we could easily turn it and watch the plant respond to the re-orientation. Now it looks droopy as the stems can no longer support the weight of the purple blooms.
I’ve been reading about this plant, which is supposedly one of the easiest to maintain. At first I thought we were giving it too much water, so I have cut back on the frequency and amount of water. We have also tried putting it outside on the back patio table and that didn’t help. Recently, I tried manually separating and rearranging the stems which had gotten clumped and twisted. A few days later it sprung back to life and looked good for a while but has since gone sad and droopy again. Now I am thinking (hoping) that it is just in a normal state of dormancy. So I have moved it away from the big window and watering less frequently awaiting signs of new life.
This plant has a great deal of sentimental value as it is a living remnant of something you had curated and cared for and serves as a daily reminder of the beauty and struggle of life. Like so many things, we take for granted the marvelous biology of this flowering plant. We expect to see it looking healthy and vibrant on its turntable. We take steps to nurture it with three precious ingredients: water, nutrients, and sunlight.
All of a sudden, it strikes me that grief is like a temporary state of dormancy. A time for inward focus and conservation of energy that may appear outwardly stagnant, but is necessary to renew and refresh the body, mind, and spirit after the trauma of loss. I hope this Shamrock Plant bounces back from its’ rest period. Perhaps it is a reflection of my journey. Only time will tell.
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