Waling-Waling Orchid

Flowers of Mum

She sprouted love like flowers, grew a garden in her mind, and even on the darkest days, from her smile the sun still shined. – Erin Hanson

Sometimes stories are all I have, even if they don't always match memories. But when I close my eyes a moment, there's always something to drag the latter back to the surface.

Such as these snippets on Mum and her flowering plants.

I'm showcasing them in a Mother's Month-long series because I think Mothers don’t just need a day to be featured. They need a month.

Starting with her waling-waling orchid.

It looked scraggly.

I thought it was odd that a plant should be off the ground or a piece of pottery. The single stem was enclosed in coconut husk, strung and precariously hanging from our balkon. 

I remember seeing my Mum, her face luminous like the moon, tiptoeing to carefully arrange a stray branch sticking out from beneath bark chips and moss.

Then she would sprinkle water, just a bit, on what to me looked like dark and shriveled roots.

But then, it budded and flourished. And put forth lovely two-toned purple-petaled flowers with yellow centers. Again and again. Year after year. 

I recall that summery day when it bloomed, looking specially splendid and showy. 

It was my graduation day from elementary school. I wanted to look special - I was valedictorian, after all! -  taking an inordinate amount of time with my hair that morning, brushing it out, studying myself in the mirror.

I remember Mum watching vigilantly. As I emerged from out the boat neck of my white lace and organdy dress, she began to fluff my petticoat underneath. 

But just as I began to step out of mirror's range, she said, Chon, kulang pa (something's missing). 

She left, then came back with something in her hands. 

A waling-waling.

Carefully, she proceeded to pin the most beautiful lavender blossom on my dress. And she told me, This orchid is considered queen of Philippine flowers and worshiped as a 'diwata' goddess.

That was for me a defining moment of what was just bestowed on me.

It was a priceless gift  that had been nurtured through time.

A floral blessing that was a gift of love.

(To be continued)