April 30

Billy’s aunt sent me this peace lily when my mom died 12 years ago. It has been slowly dying over the last month or two and I didn’t know what to do about it. I finally asked ChatGPT, which accurately diagnosed root rot due to inconsistent watering. Very little of the root structure is left, but at the bot’s advice, I cleaned away all the rotted stuff, cut back almost 90% of the remaining leaves, and repotted it with fresh soil in a smaller pot. AI says it’s got a shot. A small shot given what’s left of the roots, but more of a shot than if I’d done nothing. I decided to put the plant next to the jar of pennies I’ve collected off of the ground over the years. I went to a medium once, who told me that the pennies I’d been finding were little wishes my dad was leaving for me, so I started saving them. The jar I’d had the pennies in broke several months ago and they’ve been sitting in the broken pieces since then. Saving my mom’s plant inspired me to save my dad’s pennies. It only seems right that they should stand side by side, pieced back together as they are. I hope the lily makes it.