Member-only story
Home Is Where the Plant Is
For my mother, the past may be gray, but the future is green
Like many millennials, my mom has become a plant parent.
Unlike many millennials, she does not have a YouTube channel or an Instagram account. My mom is a 73-year-old grandmother of seven who dotes on her potted plants with the grace and attentiveness of a new parent. She lives by herself in a 500 square foot apartment on the top floor of a senior housing facility. Her apartment’s window faces the north side of the building, giving her access to great lighting. As a result, she has accumulated a collection of plants ever since she moved in a year and a half ago.
It started off with a small potted plant. I don’t recall how she got that plant, but I do recall being at a local grocery store with her one Saturday afternoon when she picked up an aloe vera plant and admired it in a way that one admires the soft, smooth skin of a brand new baby. She put the plant up to her nose and smelled it — like someone inhaling that baby smell. And she was mesmerized.
She brought the plant home, and as the plant grew, so did her collection.
