My tomatoes and jalapeño peppers are prospering, and I cannot use my abundant herbs fast enough! It is a nice problem to have.
My garden lives on my deck. It is small but mighty. And resilient. Last week, a nasty storm produced high, tornadic-like winds through our area. There is speculation that a tornado did indeed touch down just north of my location. As I watched the trees bow from the safety of my indoor haven, a gust lifted my heavy planter of dill and oregano from the railing of my deck and sent it crashing to the floorboards. I immediately braved the rain and wind and set my planter upright, unwilling to lose what I had so diligently tended. (I slightly embellished this part. I do little to attend to my plants. I have never had a green thumb nor wanted one. I do, however, love having fresh herbs at my fingertips.)
Slightly askew, my dill and oregano survived the plunge. The idea that something so seemingly fragile could withstand such a powerful and disruptive force soon had me metaphorically applying the experience to life itself. My ever-evolving conclusion (yes, it is an oxymoron) was that even minimal effort can produce maximum advantage if focused in the right direction. And the disruptive powers that blow into our lives may momentarily knock us off our stoop, but we will continue to grow and thrive once the dirt is cleared from the deck.
My small garden has made a big difference. I give it a little love and in return I receive an abundance of nourishment—physically and metaphorically.
We may stand slightly askew, and we may have dirt under our fingernails, but if we continue to tend to our garden there is nothing to keep us from prospering.
Here's to the oxymoron and to your abiding metaphor!