Orchid bridges 12,913km

Beauty in the natural world can be a lovely metaphor for beauty in our relationships. I'm in a Friday kind of mood, so thought I'd share how orchids remind me daily of two people I love deeply.

I moved to Johannesburg from Montreal nearly 20 years ago, leaving many friends behind – but in particular, my bosom budette, my soul sister, she whose daughter I call ma nièce and love as if she were my own daughter (so in Africa I would just call her my daughter and have done with it, but let’s not split hairs – this post is about orchids and friendship, not Western vs African customs). We have one of those distance proof relationships that American movies try to depict and fail because there’s no way they can capture the nuance and intimacy of that kind of friendship, based on relationships and careers lived and survived, reunions celebrated and Skype calls hoarded, cutting the distance to mere geography.

A few years ago, my dear friend, who I shall not name as she is the archetypal anti-social media maven, sent me an orchid for my birthday. All the way from Montreal to Johannesburg. A phalaenopsis. (Of course the orchid came from Johannesburg – I know. But its idea was conceived in Montreal.)

I confess to having inadvertently and guiltily killed many a phalaenopsis in my time, but somehow this one - which I’ve given my friend’s name - has survived Joburg’s seasonal changes, a major move across town and years of separation in our human friendship, which I’m assured would kill most orchids.

A couple of years later, her daughter (ma nièce) gave me a smaller varietal to go along with the more mature plant,

so now I have a mother and daughter on the windowsill.

How well do orchids represent friendship and love? My thoughts for a Friday - they produce so many ineffably beautiful blossoms, each unique and yet grown from the same plant. They flower over and over, even after dry spells where you think there’s no flowering left. They thrive in the sun, yet they can survive long dry spells if necessary.

Look how happy the mother orchid is.

And these two plants achieve the impossible by making the distance between Johannesburg and Montreal, 12,913km, seem like nothing.

Happy Friday, Steemians! May you have much love and friendship in your lives.