Morning Glory

In 1992 I received a precious gift from my friends in California. I was living in Arizona, and I missed having Morning Glory plants in my backyard. I had grown up with Morning Glories, bright purple and sometimes blue, winding their way up the sides of fences, their smiling flower faces turned towards the morning sun. I was fascinated by them from a tender young age, and I wanted to see them again.

So, my friends sent me a packet of Morning Glory seeds for my birthday, and I was going to plant them in the yard of my new home. However, thanks to a quick internet search about how to grow them in Arizona, I was horrified to learn that they were not legal in Arizona (unless grandfathered in) as they would spread seed and choke out other plants. I quietly tucked the packet of seeds into a drawer in my desk, and whenever I opened the drawer I would smile, as I often saw that packet as a sign of my friends’ great love and consideration of me.

That packet of seeds moved with me many times ever since. It was one of the very first things I would lovingly pack when I would move. The expiration date on the seeds was 1992, the year I received them, so I thought nothing of bringing this keepsake with me each time that I moved, because I knew they'd never germinate. But, something in me grew sad when I saw the unopened packet of seeds. They’d never had a chance to germinate. I should have sent them back to California where they could happily sprout and produce those gorgeous flowers that would bring joy to people’s mornings.

When I moved to my most recent home in Arizona in 2019, I saw that packet of seeds again. The packet was 26 years old, and the seeds were more than likely to old to germinate. When my daughter came to visit from another state where Morning Glory plants are legal, I showed her the packet and said, “It’s probably a long shot, but maybe you can plant these and see if anything germinates.” She was more than up for the challenge.

A few months later, I heard from her. Hallelujah! Only one of the seeds germinated, but it had produced a little sprout! She carefully tended to it each day. Eventually it grew into a nice sized plant, and produced a single flower. A magenta flower. My favorite color. “Mom,” she said, “It’s magenta!” I'd never seen a magenta Morning Glory before. The photo on the packet had shown the classic blue and purple. I looked up magenta Morning Glories and discovered that they are very rare. The one seed that sprouted from that beloved packet was my favorite color! Magenta! I felt so blessed.

I was thinking about that flower this morning, and thought how that one little seed in the packet is like the seeds that are planted by God within us. Some may remain dormant for what seems like forever. But, given the right conditions, nurturing, and love, that little seed inside of us that contains our greater truth and authenticity, can sprout overnight; robust and beautiful, and beyond our wildest dreams and imaginations.

Apparently, we are never too old to germinate.