Begonia. Begonias are a type of plant with dark, waxy, green leaves. Its flower is a soft, delicate thing with a beautiful yellow center. It has two small petals and two bigger ones. Each plant feels delicate, succulent, full to the brim with water, like as if pressing it too hard would cause it to burst. They come in pink, white and red. When I was younger, I used to plant them under a specific tree with my mom every mother’s day. I remember we would first buy them from a greenhouse covered with a white tarp. I remember we would load them in the cart with my mother, and laugh together on the ride home in the car and then plant them. Each year I got to watch the tree grow around one of its branches that had been cut off. I know my mother immigrated to America from Canada many years before I was born, but I never really had an object from Canada that connected me to my mother. I don’t know exactly why she left Canada, but I know my grandmama was not a good mother to her. I know my mother wanted more than anything to never let us kids have to suffer from the pain she endured as a child. I think of begonias as roses. The sweet delicate memories that proved I was loved more than anything, but the thorns that fear and pain of a past endured dripped out on to us, as sometimes trying to break a cycle while not being free yourself, can end up being the very thing that you tried to prevent.

– LES

Relationship:  Child of im/migrant Child of im/migrant