Growing Old Together

by T. Delaplain

Cutting a section of Mom’s beloved plant, I sprouted you in a Mason jar, hopeful, on our way to college. You wrapped around me in the cab of Dad’s ‘ol’ pickup as I moved to my first job. Gracefully winding around the baby’s bassinet you held space while I nursed. 

Lush and green, you grew to love our family. Of course you were a mess of tangles, but so was I. We vowed to move together towards each new beginning, until we didn’t. Now you lay hacked to pieces at my feet, both of us broken; something about a trip hazard in the retirement home.

Care to exercise your green thumb at Friday Fictioneers? Our host Rochelle Wisoff will give you 100 words to plant your seeds.
PHOTO PROMPT © Nancy Richy

40 responses to “Growing Old Together”

  1. Neil MacDonald Avatar
    Neil MacDonald

    A life in the history of one plant. Lovely

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
    TraceyDelaplainMD.com

    Thanks Neil

    Like

    Reply
  3. Keith's Ramblings Avatar
    Keith’s Ramblings

    So sad. Perhaps you should pop a piece in a Mason jar and hope it sprouts for someone else to enjoy!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      I love that idea. Growing it forward.
      Thanks Keith

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Beautiful and poignant.

    Like

    Reply
  5. Lisa or Li Avatar
    Lisa or Li

    Tracey, your last line got me in the feels.

    Like

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      Thank you

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Lisa or Li Avatar
        Lisa or Li

        You’re welcome

        Like

  6. Avatar
    Anonymous

    tracey. Sooooo good!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      Thank you

      Like

      Reply
    2. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      Thank you for commenting.
      Tracey

      Like

      Reply
  7. plaridel Avatar
    plaridel

    what a beautiful story. thank you for sharing. lastly, welcome back you’ve been missed. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      Thank you, it’s my yearly post. Ha ha

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  8. Sandra Avatar
    Sandra

    That was very poignant. It is indeed possible to become attached to plants, in the nicest possible way. And lovely to see you back Tracey, hope it’s not a one Friday stand.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      Thank you Sandra. I’d be lying if I said, I don’t have time to write. I do miss my indoor plants as we live and travel between two countries. I really did grieve over the loss of some of those that we’d had since college.

      Like

      Reply
  9. granonine Avatar
    granonine

    I would love to nurture a plant that lives with me from cradle to retirement home!

    Like

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      Thanks for stopping by. I actually did nurture a plant just like this one until I started traveling between homes every 6 months.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. granonine Avatar
        granonine

        I’ve tried. I can’ even keep African Violets alive!

        Like

  10. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar
    Alicia Jamtaas

    Simple and stunning way to walk the reader through time. Welcome back! I, too, am just poking my toes into the Friday Fictioneers story pond. Let’s both try to keep it up – or not. Cheers!

    Like

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      Thanks, I’ll try if you’ll try. I have no excuse.

      Like

      Reply
      1. Alicia Jamtaas Avatar
        Alicia Jamtaas

        You’re on!!!

        Like

  11. The Abject Muse Avatar
    The Abject Muse

    I love your take on the prompt. What a great story! I had tears in my eyes at the end. Really good stuff!

    Like

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for dropping by.
      Tracey

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  12. Laurie Bell Avatar
    Laurie Bell

    Oh wow. Beautifully written. A life’s journey well told. A sad end though. Well done

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      Just one more loss as were put out to pasture in old age. Thanks Laurie.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  13. rochellewisoff Avatar
    rochellewisoff

    Dear Tracey,

    The lush green tendrils of this beautifully written piece have twined around my heart. Good to see you back here in the FFFold.

    Shalom,

    Rochelle

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      I’m glad to be back, I know I can always come home to FF. Thank you for your lovely comment.
      Tracey

      Like

      Reply
  14. Dahlia Avatar
    Dahlia

    A touching piece

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  15. Brenda's Thoughts Avatar
    Brenda’s Thoughts

    I love how you wove her story through her beloved plant. I move a lot. Each time I must leave a plant I’ve spent time with, I am a bit sad. Lovely story!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      Thank you Brenda. I don’t have any indoor plants now so I rely on outdoor plants that can survive the brutal Baja summers. It’s hard to be attached to a cactus. Literally.
      Tracey

      Like

      Reply
  16. James McEwan Avatar
    James McEwan

    Lovely story. I have my own favourite plants and keep them fresh. I don’t say anything, but my daughter always forgets to care for her plants and when I visit I water them when she isn’t looking.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      A parent’s work is never done. Ha ha Thanks for your comments.

      Tracey

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  17. Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶 Avatar
    Nancy’s Notes 🖊️🎶

    Oh, I like this, Tracey. A very touching look at Growing Together and growing older. Our youngest granddaughter likes to sing to my plants with me. She’s 5 yrs old and this Easter she’ll find her very first real plant to care for in her basket among the chocolate eggs and stuffed bunny.

    Thanks for a lovely story.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      Thanks for stopping by. I think everyone needs something to nurture and a plant is a great start.
      Tracey

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  18. Na'ama Yehuda Avatar
    Na’ama Yehuda

    Well worded! Well painted! And … perhaps, a little cutting (pun and all) can be raised in a small pot and made to trail onto the wall, as one oldster I know had done in their retirement home.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      I don’t think most retirement homes consider the little important touches that make a room a home.
      Thanks for dropping by.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Na'ama Yehuda Avatar
        Na’ama Yehuda

        So true! And so important!

        Like

  19. Violet Lentz Avatar
    Violet Lentz

    What a tender little tale, until the end. Corporations should not make laws to suit insurance companies- but we can’t all be Luigi either…

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  20. Dawn M. Miller Avatar
    Dawn M. Miller

    Oh my…that hurt my heart.

    Like

    Reply
    1. TraceyDelaplainMD.com Avatar
      TraceyDelaplainMD.com

      I do hate to let a plant die.
      Thanks Dawn.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

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40 thoughts on “Growing Old Together”

Add yours

  8. That was very poignant. It is indeed possible to become attached to plants, in the nicest possible way. And lovely to see you back Tracey, hope it’s not a one Friday stand.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you Sandra. I’d be lying if I said, I don’t have time to write. I do miss my indoor plants as we live and travel between two countries. I really did grieve over the loss of some of those that we’d had since college.

      Like

      Reply

  10. Simple and stunning way to walk the reader through time. Welcome back! I, too, am just poking my toes into the Friday Fictioneers story pond. Let’s both try to keep it up – or not. Cheers!

    Like

    Reply

  16. Lovely story. I have my own favourite plants and keep them fresh. I don’t say anything, but my daughter always forgets to care for her plants and when I visit I water them when she isn’t looking.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. Oh, I like this, Tracey. A very touching look at Growing Together and growing older. Our youngest granddaughter likes to sing to my plants with me. She’s 5 yrs old and this Easter she’ll find her very first real plant to care for in her basket among the chocolate eggs and stuffed bunny.

    Thanks for a lovely story.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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