My mother-in-law turned 90 years old January 1, 2014. One of her great loves has always been gardening. She got tremendous satisfaction from digging in the dirt, trimming the hedges, planting flowers and pruning her trees. Over the past several years she’s begun to realize her days in the garden were numbered. Recently she said, “Gina, I’m depressed that I can’t get out and make my garden beautiful. I want to see pretty flowers, and just look at the trees and hedges, they need a good haircut.”

For almost ten years she and I have shared a love of gardening. So I relate to her distress at coming to the realization she is no longer physically able to do what she once did. At 57 I can relate in a way. I can’t do what I once did either. But I can still plant, and trim and prune.

Yesterday I spent 4 hours working hard to make her garden beautiful.  The weeds under her deck and in the flower beds are gone. The roses and shrubs are trimmed. Colorful flowers now fill the pots and beds. Her small deck and patio furniture have been scrubbed clean. And two hanging baskets of bright Million Bells now dominate her line of sight as she sits in her office chair.

“Oh Gina! How can I ever thank you,” she asked. “You just did,” I said giving her a big hug.  Often the best gifts of love we give are those that just take a little bit of time and a piece of our heart.