The Twin Rose

 ...So we grew together
Like to a double cherry, seeming parted,
But yet an union in partition,
Two lovely berries moulded on one stem...
~William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream

Rare are the glimpses given to us of life beyond the grave from our departed loved ones.  Non-believers would call these vignettes coincidences or happen-chance.  In my own family, we witnessed one such event that blossomed before our eyes on the day after my father's passing from this world.

In his final days, he stayed at my sister's home just one mile from mine.  A steady stream of his siblings came to be with him, including his twin brother, Mike,  who he had not seen in years due to his retirement deep into the heart of Mexico.  His favorite place to entertain visitors was on my sister's front porch, where a beautiful rose plant could be seen just yards away.

The rose plant produced a splendid red "twin rose" from a single bud.  We noticed it while we gathered together to make funeral arrangements.  Attempts to preserve this rarity in nature failed, however, we were able to capture photos before the bud disintegrated.

I had never observed a "twin rose" until that moment.  It's beauty captivated me.  Each petal was rich in a deep red color.  It's smell was like a fine perfume.  Not only was the timing of it's bloom perfect, it's appearance comforted all who loved my father, including his precious twin who was grieving deeply.  Even though this all took place in May, my dad's favorite Christmas song (not only did he share his birthday with his twin, he also shared it with Jesus) magically played on the CD player while my sister was thinking about him.  The song played on..."you better watch out, you better not pout".   Together with the twin rose, these two parting gifts from our father helped us to deal with his departure.

If there are any family members reading this that still have a photo of the twin rose, please contact me.  My pictures were lost due to a hard-drive failure.   The special rose photo will be included in "God's Black Sheep Squadron" when it is released next year.