Unexpected Blooms

“The name Waris means “desert flower.” A desert flower can live and grow where nothing else can. It can survive bad times with no water.”

Those words are not my own, but copied from Google. However, they aptly describe a recent experience that was a direct outcome of the Covid lockdown.

My friends and I have been in lockdown due to the virus for a bit more than twelve weeks.

Normally, the three lovely ladies, would be out and about this beautiful area enjoying the beauty of Lake Michigan.

Normally, I would never have considered imposing on their coveted time during the brief days of summer.

However, that was not the case during 2020, when I asked for their help. I have been working on an unexpected writing project and wondered if it held any interest for readers. I also needed input and questioning about time, places as well as the fictional characters.

Consequently, each Wednesday afternoon, we have gathered around a long table, spaced six feet apart, and Carol read my words.

We traveled back in time and memory to Hells Kitchen and its occupants.

The joy of our Wednesdays has not been their reception to my story, but the uniting of three women whose own life experiences have enriched each session.

As Carol shared the talent that brought her decades of television fame, her remarkable voice brought magic to my words.

Vida sparked interest with her wit and personal memories, unique and distinctive from mine.

Dot asked perceptive questions allowing us to peek into her book of memories. She was quick to check facts on her cell phone and alert me to errors in time and place.

And I remembered how Desert flowers emerge unexpectedly.

While the arrival of 2020 brought lockdown and fear, it also introduced the bloom of unexpected friendship into my world.

The gift of time spent on Wednesday with three kindred souls easily equated with the surprising joy of desert flowers.