In 1992 when my Dad died, he was living alone in his house near Cobbs Hill Park. At one time his wife & he had beautiful gardens. His wife developed brain cancer at a very young age & when the cancer came back a second time, it left her in a coma. She moved into a facility where she died a few years after my Dad. Cleaning out his home was a challenge as his mental state had deteriorated badly & he had stopped caring for the house & the gardens. He & I had been estranged for years before his death because of his mental illness. I had not invited him to my wedding & he never met my Mark. One of the few things I wanted from his home was plants. The poppies in my garden were my Dad's. Every year they remind me of him & the happier days before his mental illness took him from me. Often I have wondered if his serving in Korea played a part in his decline. This is my Memorial Day story...May the poppies bloom.
