15 to 20 years ago, Michael planted 42 big yellow King Alfred daffodils, the kind with the huge, tubular trumpets.  They were his favorite flowers.  The little garden he selected was circular, and so he chose to plant the bulbs in peace symbol design.  That spring -and subsequent ones- produced a profusion of blooms all expressing love, happiness, and peace!  Over the years, mostly because of the drought, the blooms decreased in number.  For the last 5-6 years, only the leaves made the daffys' presence known.  

For the last couple of years, I’ve wanted to plant more daffodils, but found myself teary-eyed every time I looked at a bag of bulbs.  This year I decided that tulips would be the flowers to bring me Spring.  (I planted 32 purple, yellow, orange, and pink ones on Christmas Day.  They started poking up from the soil on my birthday.)

The day before Super Bowl, I noticed something in his garden, now overgrown with oregano, oxalis, and daffodil leaves.  I went over and discovered one daffodil shoot, complete with bud!  Daffodils grow before your eyes, and every hour on Feb. 6th, I watched that flower's stem grow taller, the little bud beginning to swell, elongate and bend.  I could see the golden yellow under the green sheath that protected the petals.

On Feb. 7th - Mike’s birthday- it bloomed.

I was in Mike's 1959 class at Hillsdale High in San Mateo.  I remember his

outgoing personality, distinctive laugh, and joy for life. He performed as part of a rock 'n roll group for assemblies.  The red hair, the shades and playing the sax

and wearing a bright blue shirt.  He marched by his own drummer while the

uptight teachers grumbled that he wasn't living up to their perception of Eisenhower

era youth.  May you rest in peace 'ol high school buddy.

I stood by your bed last night, I came to have a peep.
I could see that you were crying, You found it hard to sleep.
I spoke to you softly as you brushed away a tear,
"It's me, I haven't left you, I'm well, I'm fine, I'm here."

I was close to you at breakfast, I watched you pour the tea,
You were thinking of the many times, your hands reached out to me.
I was with you at the shops today, Your arms were getting sore.
I longed to take your parcels, I wish I could do more.

I was with you at my grave today, You tend it with such care.
I want to re-assure you, that I'm not lying there.
I walked with you towards the house, as you fumbled for your key.
I gently put my hand on you, I smiled and said " it's me."


You looked so very tired, and sank into a chair.
I tried so hard to let you know, that I was standing there.
It's possible for me, to be so near you everyday.
To say to you with certainty, "I never went away."
You sat there very quietly, then smiled, I think you knew...
In the stillness of that evening, I was very close to you.

The day is over... I smile and watch you yawning
and say "good-night, God bless, I'll see you in the morning."
And when the time is right for you to cross the brief divide,
I'll rush across to greet you and we'll stand, side by side.
I have so many things to show you, there is so much for you to see.

Be patient, live your journey out...then come home to be with me....

* a beautiful poem from unkown source - A reminder that our love ones are always right there in our hearts