Flower Beds

There was this eighty year old housewife
with the most beautiful flower beds,
well groomed, well cared for, no doubt
someone put time and energy planning
and caring for the beautiful flower beds.

There came a time when her husband
of sixty years was diagnosed with cancer
and it was decided that she would care for
him at home because he would have it
no other way, no nursing home for him!

That is when I had a chance to listen to her story
behind those closed doors of her home.
All was not as it appeared, to those passing by.
Folks had no idea of the abuse she had to endure
through those sixty years of marriage.

She told of verbal, physical, and emotional
abuse, of the times he would get up
from the dining table and turn it over just
because the food wasn't salted to his liking,
or a comment made not to his way of thinking.

All their family, friends and neighbors
helped them celebrate sixty years of marriage,
with great escalation and admiration.
Their grown children knew about the abuse
behind closed doors but it was the family secret.

I listened, as I often did to the tales folks
kept behind closed doors. When asked, "how
she managed through the years." She pointed
to her flower bed, straightened her back, and
said, "see those flower beds, that is where I
spent my time when life got tough!"

Hard to imagine but when she was a young wife
women had hardly any rights, a man's home
including his wife and children were his property.
He was the law inside his home. She had no where to turn,
but to God and her' flower beds!

Sad and true sometimes

Hmm.. I'm going to stop cutting my grass.. people might get the wrong idea...jk...
.... such a tragic truth...
.... great!! now everytime I go by a well groomed yard... I'm going to be thinking..hmmm.. what's going on in there..

Joe/phD -acknowledged and appreciated

This was an easy write for me, the words just flowed when I put my fingers to the keypad. I've always felt such compassion for this lady, her life story touched every emotion I have ever felt.

Usually, I struggle to write so you can imagine my joy in being able to complete in one sitting. And, it is a true story

Mo,

Significant and so truthful. I realize now we can all safely assume, 'She' is in fact You.

I. too, desire not to have to ever experience nursing homes first hand. But I would surely take account of all the good things my significant other had done for me over the years of our living. And most especially, during those years being privately cared for by her. This is where the ties that sometimes do bind - are most important to us all.

You've, no doubt, always deserved so much more in life, Mo. And I'll just bet that flower garden's lookin' real good in springtime. Plant a comfortable seed for me, will ya?

Well done, pal. Good write!

tommo / Ireland

Morning, Java time here, another bitterly cold day.

Tommo, This is not my personal story, I don't believe I am made of what that fine lady was.

-My employment of twenty-five years took me behind closed doors, it is behind those closed doors that people will tell you their personal stories. It is where they feel safe, it is their home, that is where you will find their heart and soul. I have a great deal of compassion for folks so I was good at what I did. And, their stories went no farther, their stories stayed with me, they could trust me. My personal story is still untold, perhaps, one day someone will sit down beside me in my home where I feel safe and listen to my story. Trusting people no longer comes easy for me, I've seen too much during my life time working in public service.