09.02.23: Chinese Lantern

I planted the Chinese Lantern in the backyard a looong time ago. A decade at least. It would grow extremely tall and bushy. Hummingbirds loved it. Eventually I’d get around to giving it a haircut, and it would grow back with a vengeance. I loved it. Jack and Kate didn’t. They felt it was blocking light from their apartment. I was imposing my will on the shared backyard. Still, cutting it down was emotional. Made me think of Mabel and her many many years investigating the yard, sniffing around endlessly—especially if she was onto some invisible creature trail. I miss her so much, still. Ironically, after Mabel died Helen Ford gifted us a baby Chinese Lantern plant as a healing gift. She did so because in the nursery it was marketed under another name it goes by: Flowering Maple, which made her think “Mabel.” She didn’t know we already had a huge one! But now the one Helen gave us is thriving, in a pot. Where it shall remain. (Note: Abutilon is the plant’s real name.)