The Amaryllis

Our "Ugly Duckling" story.

We received an ugly, dormant, dead-looking flower bulb for Christmas, from my little sister.
I'm sure you've all seen them at Christmas time in/near the garden center at most big box retail stores. I never really gave them more than a passing glance.
Now I would buy another one or two, for myself as well as inexpensive gifts. What a fun gift this has been!
Mailia and I followed the directions on the box, which was basically sticking it in the dirt and watering it. For four weeks it did nothing. By the end of January, after looking at a 'dead' bulb in my kitchen window for a month, I was "this" close to tossing it out and proclaiming it DEAD! But as it was a gift, I decided that it wasn't hurting anything by sitting there, so I would let it rot first, before throwing it away. :-)
I'm sooo glad I waited.
When the first little green sprout popped out we were all thrilled. After that, I became convinced that the plant was on steroids. More than once I thought that if I stood there long enough, I would actually see it grow. Each morning we were even more amazed than the day before at how much it had grown over night.
Finally after two full months, it is in full bloom, and it is BEAUTIFUL!

Lessons learned: Don't give up! Don't judge a book by it's cover. Be patient with others as God isn't finished with them yet. :-)

If you see these 'ugly ducklings' at Christmas time next year, consider getting one (or two). They are worth the wait.