Night Blooming Cereus, first to bloom, Friday, August 16

More than twenty years ago I traveled from Connecticut to Florida to visit my Aunt Jane who was losing a battle with cancer. My Aunt Sylvia had also traveled there from Pennsylvania and it was to be the first and only time we three ever visited as adults – it was wonderful to be together and to get to know them on a whole different level. Before I left, Aunt Jane insisted on giving me a cutting from her night blooming cereus.  She explained that it would take years until it would start to bloom, and then would only bloom once a year, and only for one night and that would be only after dark. Silently I doubted that I could ever keep such a special plant alive in Connecticut.

From Florida I traveled to Virginia to meet up with my husband Laine for a visit with my brother-in-law Drew, sister-in-law Teresa & their three young girls. When we packed up to leave, I had completely forgotten about the cutting in their guest room. Years later, Drew, Teresa & family moved to CT and at that time Teresa presented me with the forgotten cutting that she had managed to keep alive. It was a scrawny, gangly plant with strangely shaped leaves, but ... whatever. I brought it to the yoga center where we had bigger windows, and – somewhat through benign neglect – it survived.

This last Friday morning, August 16, I stopped for a sip of water before teaching the 9am class, and by accident noticed a large bud on the plant. As I looked again, I began to notice more and more buds. That night, after dark, I saw that the first one I had seen had opened - so delicate and lovely!

By morning it had closed. 

Saturday night well after sunset, the other eight buds had not yet begun to open. Laine and I headed home, exhausted after a long day, and I headed to bed. Thankfully, much later, Laine went back down to the yoga center to check on the buds which by that time had all opened. He came home to wake me so that I could get to see the flowers in all of their full glory.

So INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

And by Sunday morning all were closed.

It's been quite a rocky summer for us dealing with serious illness and death of dear ones both near and far. The appearance of these flowers for the first time - after twenty years of even forgetting this could ever happen - has been so uplifting.

It truly feels like a gift from beyond the veil.

To all of this lovely yoga community I wish equally inspiring and uplifting times ahead,

Jennifer

Night Blooming Cereus, around midnight, Saturday, August 17