FRESNO, Calif. -- A California man who recently lost his wife of 64 years said he has found comfort and renewed faith thanks to flowers he has left by her grave. Every Sunday afternoon since her August death, Vinto Scarabello has visited the final resting spot of his late wife Norma.
"Every night I talk to her," the 93-year-old widower said. "That I love her, that I miss her and that I will meet her again."
Scarabello does more than talk, he also often brings Norma flowers people gave him or that he cut from his garden. He said regardless of the flower, it often turns purple.
"We brought the chrysanthemums after the funeral and kept them here for two weeks then brought them home, kept them on the kitchen counter for two weeks, then they started turning a little purple, a little darker and darker, then they got solid purple, as dark as they could be," he said. "There was one red rose bud, as red as can be. I brought it here on a Sunday. The following Sunday, what a surprise, the redbud was purple."
While florists said flowers often turn purple with age, Scarabello said he believed it was a sign from Norma. He said purple was her favorite color.
Scarabello said he viewed the color change as a miracle, one that has convinced him to come back to the church.
