07.30.09
On Tending Herbs & Hearts
As an aspiring “chef”/housewife, I began propagating several pots of rosemary, sweet basil, and tarragon, to satisfy my quixotic kitchen endeavors. Aside from the nutritive and therapeutic benefits of herb planting, the cultivation of these living things brought about simple joys and ponderings. The burgeoning of a new tiny leaf after a night of delicate rainfall would excite me, and their figures like forest nymphs in green raiment tiptoeing towards the sun would enchant me.
It was an elation to witness the sweet basil leaves augment to half the size of my palm. Nevertheless this did not only signify healthy growth, it also forecasted an ineluctable stage of its life – harvest time. With a cook’s delight and a planter’s reluctance, I pruned the stems and brought them to the kitchen. When I returned to the potted plants, their sundered appearances worried me and I sensed what seemed like remorse. The beautiful nymphs were humbly prostrated to the ground. “What have I done?” I whispered to myself.
Concurrently, a discovery concerning a soul so dear to me severed my heart unexpectedly. Conforming to the predilections of any bleeding person, I felt the need to ask why it had to happen at a time when I did not deserve to experience such pain.
The basil plants provided the answer. When I inspected the plants the following day, I noticed that at the places where I had sheared one stem, there grew two new sprigs! The snippings did not terminate their growths, but increased it rather. So it is with our hearts. Prunings must needs be endured if we are to flourish.
¤ ¤ ¤
No sooner had I basked in the delightful botanical sights than another revelation regarding the aforementioned soul reached me. The same had grown from the selfsame wounding experience… but now, like the two new shoots, we offer our hearts for nurturing and tiptoe towards the Light.
jonathan hawk follows closely said,
July 30, 2009 at 11:06 pm
It is always good to remember to thank each and every plant before cutting, and daily when visiting them to encourage their growth - a warm and engaging temperment and spirit of exchange. You are part of the circle, you help to facilitate their lives and they in turn, do the same for you.
As you grow closer to them, you hear their language and speak it more clearly (as demonstrated in your post here), and the appreciation, aka love for what they bring to your home, beyond mere nourishment, will in fact, be heard by them.
Wonderful piece of the small slices of life. I am happy to read this here. Well written and yet, humbly simple. You strike an elegant balance that some do not find even into their senior moments.
But it is the essense of the circle that you capture in this post, more so than the nature of man and plant life.
Here is a quote that may say it better than I, but not better than you have.
“The Great Spirit made the flowers, the streams, the pines, the cedars - he takes care of them. He lets a breeze go through there, makes them breathe it, waters them, makes them grow. He takes care of me, waters me, feeds me, makes me live with the plants and animals as one of them. This is how I wish to remain, an Indian, all the days of my life.”
Pete Catches
“Mitakuye Oyasin is Lakota for “All My Relations.” It is a prayer of oneness and harmony with all forms of life: other people, animals, birds, insects, trees and plants, and even rocks. It reminds us that we are connected to these other aspects of Creation, that we share a common kinship in the Hoop of Life. ”
Lakota
Miracle ♪♫ said,
July 31, 2009 at 7:42 am
Hmm… I guess I wasn’t called Pocahontas for nothing after all. haha ;-)
Kidding! But really, despite its popularized and unhistorical Disney portrayal, I still find Colors of the Wind to be poetic.
Thank you for bolstering the heart of this entry, Jonathan. You’ve said what you had to wonderfully, and as usual, you never fail to teach me something new. Thank you for sharing the understanding of your people.
elaine said,
July 31, 2009 at 1:30 pm
i love how you see life meewa. i am pretty sure you will be a very good chef and housewife (a sought-after one). God has also pruned me specially in times when I least expected it. in the end, we learn a great deal from these experienced and grow to be better. thanks for sharing!
Miracle ♪♫ said,
July 31, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Aww… thank you, Elaine.
It’s also sometimes good to know that pain doesn’t necessarily mean punishments, but signs of life and growth… and moreover, a proof that God is working on our strength and character. Thanks for dropping by!
mika said,
August 1, 2009 at 2:03 pm
it’s fascinating how you can find these lessons in such simple things… thanks for sharing this, that image of two new shoots will be with me in hard times. :)
Miracle ♪♫ said,
August 1, 2009 at 2:25 pm
It must be the Proust effect. hehe… =)
It’s inspiring to imagine how this entry will somehow remind you of hope someday. Thanks also, Mika.
becky desiderio said,
August 12, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Hi,
( it’s me again, one of your fans ) this article reminded me of one of my favorite verses : There is a time and season for everything under Heaven Ecc. 3:1. And I have learned through the passing of time that pruning is a MUST in our lives. Sometimes, I would even request Him to prune me so I will have growth, so I can bear fruits. Now, I associate that season of pruning ( though at times with tears but with a lot of faith ) with the season of Harvest.
may you always have joy in your heart,
dr.becky
Miracle ♪♫ said,
August 13, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Hi Dr. Becky,
That verse is also among my favorites… it especially aids me in accepting His Will at all times - whether it be against mine or not.haha It’s wonderful to know that I have gained an insightful reader and I suppose, a sister in Christ as well. May you always have His Joy, too. =)