I’ve never been able to make things grow. It’s not that I’ve had a black thumb, that would have been something to aspire to. When it comes to plants, I’ve always been a Mistress of Death. It’s been a decade plus, but my mom is still telling the story of how I killed the cactus she bought for my freshman dorm room.
But this year we planted a garden and, somehow, things grew. When we picked our first zucchinis there was a victory lap around the raised bed and gloating texts with accompanying pictures (no one would have believed me otherwise.)
Now that we’ve got veggies growing, I guess I need to weed the rock bed.
The other day when I was watering the garden, I noticed that the cucumbers were overtaking the beans. As I started cutting back those wily cukes, I realized that it wasn’t just that they were encroaching on the beans’ territory. The tendrils from the vine were wrapped around the stalk of the bean plant and were literally choking it.
Sometimes life is like that darn cucumber plant. Worry, fear and tedium try to strangle the life right out of you. Our ability to laugh and be joyful gets put in a headlock by interrupting alarm clocks and redundant red lights. On days like that, it can feel like you’re breathing airplane air – recycled and compressed.
When that happens walk barefoot in the grass, take the long route to the mailbox even if it means crossing over to the other side of the street, drive home with the windows rolled down. Light a candle with dinner, and, by all means, eat that apple you’re calling dinner while sitting down. (If it’s a melted Milky Way instead of an apple, remind yourself that dark chocolate is practically a health food.)
Do pliés while you brush your teeth. Take a picture before you charge your phone. Pray a short prayer, for someone else.
Hold fast to this universal truth, tomorrow a new day is dawning. There’s bound to be something unexpectedly glorious about it.
-----
As a somewhat unrelated side note: need something to do with all that zucchini? Try these zucchini pizzas bites or Mexican zucchini.
No comments:
Post a Comment