Our friend Suzanne usually visits us in December each year. We throw off our shoes, relax on the sofa, and share a meal and chat, catching up on happenings in our lives. “I should do this more often,” she always remarks. Because the truth of the matter is, anybody can go out for lunch, but relaxing at home with a friend or two is the best!

And, sweet friend that she is, she doesn’t arrive empty handed. Two years in a row she presented us with a beautiful orchid. The orchid we have sitting on our computer table is 1 year old and so far it has bloomed 3 times. Even the roots and the leaves are gorgeous. We call my husband, Stephen, The Orchid Whisperer. Along with a magical green thumb, he whispers sweet nothings to Olivia every day and diligently drops 3 ice cubes onto her soil every Monday morning. She adores all the attention.

Orchid shows are spectacular, but by the time you wander through the crowds and see hundreds of similar varieties, we’re usually exhausted. But waking up each morning and looking at our beautiful pink blooms invigorates our spirit and creates gratitude that my husband is The Orchid Whisperer.