Mama died a year ago in March after a long life and a short illness. Shortly after her death, my sisters gave Ann and me a small magnolia tree as a token of appreciation for caring for Mama. We planted the little thing in our
back yard last spring. We had to go buy a pickax to remove the rocks we encountered while trying to dig a hole to plant the tree. Despite the poor soil, it survived. But, all summer it never looked very good. Some of the leaves were discolored as if it had a disease. We kept it well watered during the dry summer. Now, this spring it looks great and has even had two blooms. It has displayed Mama’s strength and resilience! 
