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!