Sometimes putting up with the stink yields a reward. 

Before Christmas I bought a three-pack of Amaryllis (from Costco, of course). It was another great find as they were marked down to $4.97. When something at Costco has a “7” for the last number of the price, it’s being discontinued and it’s generally super cheap. 

These plants were not in bloom yet. Part of the fun of them is watching how fast they grow and produce beautiful flowers. I put them on my kitchen counter. Within an hour, my kitchen reeked. I was planning to give these away, but there was no way I’d give a stinking dish of dirt to anyone. After an initial watering, I put them outside on my screened porch table and forgot about them. 

In a couple weeks, they rewarded me with vibrant blooms. I couldn’t believe how lovely they were. Once the flowers were spent, I forgot about them. I kept meaning to throw them away, and then around the first of February, we noticed new growth. I didn’t know they did that. I chose to water them once more and see what would happen. Soon, they looked like this.  I took these pictures on February 15. 

It made me wonder how many other things I had not given their due opportunity to bloom. Things from plants to ideas to relationships. Sometimes things start out pretty smelly. But when given the chance they bloom into something beautiful.