Elisa Gonzales, 44, and her neice Cindy Marie Gonzales, 6, are shown outside their home where they’ve tended to beautiful sunflowers now in bloom. Elisa said Cindy is responsible for the sunflowers. (Staff photos by Francisco E. Jimenez)
By FRANCISCO E. JIMENEZ
Staff Writer
reporter@sbnewspaper.com
Flowers have always been something shared between individuals who love each other. Whether it’s the Flower Power movement which called for peace and love, or a rose given to a significant other, they’ve arguably been the personification love for generations.
That may have been what Elisa Gonzales, 44, and Cindy Marie Gonzales, 6, were hoping to accomplish when the two decided to plant some sunflowers in the backyard of Elisa’s parent’s house.
“We do a lot of things together. We go to movies, we have our garden, we want to start planting some vegetables, so we’re going to wait until next Spring,” said Elisa. “This Spring is the first time that we’ve been planting together.”
Elisa said that she got the idea to plant the gargantuan flowers from her sister’s daughter who lives in Pflugerville, Texas.
“She has a garden of vegetables in her backyard,” Elisa said. “My sister and her daughter sent us an envelope with the (sunflower) seeds in them. We planted them here and they are very pretty. She (Cindy) likes gardening, and I like having Cindy do things that are very productive. I like for her to do things that are educational with her family and friends.”
Elisa and Cindy planted the sunflowers in March, and they have watched them grow to extraordinary heights over the past couple of months.
“I planted them at the end of March. They are already fully-bloomed. It takes about a couple of months for them to grow, and they grow rapidly,” said Elisa. “Every day I would come into the backyard and they would get taller and taller. They’re still growing as a matter of fact.”
Unfortunately, Elisa said things weren’t always so flowery for Cindy. “She (Cindy) is my niece. My mom and my dad have custody of her,” said Elisa, who’s helping raise Cindy due to Elisa’s mother losing her eyesight.
Like the planting of a sunflower seed, Elisa believes their love blossomed into the type of relationship every mother and daughter hoped to have with one another.
“She enjoys planting very much. I even bought her, her own little rake and shovel, a water jug and gloves,” said Elisa about Cindy, who was recently promoted to the first grade at Fred Booth Elementary School.
“She likes it because I tell her that it’s very educational, and that we need to take care of the environment that we live in,” Elisa said. “The grass and the flowers grow with the sun, and we need to take care of everything around us in order to make everything beautiful.”
Elisa and Cindy take pride in their garden, and they hope to begin growing vegetables like their relatives in Pflugerville.
“She wants a dog, but I tell her that we’re going to start first with a garden so she can show me that she’s responsible,” said Elisa. “I tell her to water the plants every day and take care of them, and maybe we’ll get her a puppy. I think it’s a good idea to teach the kids some responsibility and about nature.”
To see this story in print, pick up a copy of the June 12 edition of the San Benito News. Or view our E-Edition by clicking here.
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