Making the World a Better Place

This evening I got to thinking about my mother's dear friend Maria. Maria, who passed away about four years ago, was a very interesting woman. She was a visual artist who served in the Peace Corps in Africa and brought back fascinating examples of folk art. Although she hailed from New Jersey, Maria was dedicated to native gardening here in Texas and accumulated a trove of knowledge about Texas flora. This evening when I stepped out into the yard, I stopped to admire the blooms on the goldenball leadtree growing there. Maria grew this West Texas native from seed. Standing there in the yard, I smiled and thought about Maria. Even today she is still making the world a better place.