Emerge

I stand over my vegetable garden a lot this time of year. It is early July, and in Cleveland, this is when the tiny, wispy flowers that hang upside down on these plants start to wither. In the world of vegetables this event is just like waiting for some tall, female news anchor to announce the lottery numbers that you played because, oh, I don't know, you just felt lucky that day.

There was not much hope for this garden of mine a few weeks ago. We are trying to sell our house, so my heart just was not in the planting and care that was needed in the beginning. I kept thinking that the person who would eventually buy my house for a steal would also inherit the nearness of my friends and family, AND get to taste my heirloom tomatoes. This was all too much to bear, and I let the garden get weedy and buggy, as a way of shaking my fist at the Universe. The Universe must have gotten a chuckle out of my virtual fist shaking and thought, look, I just give what I give, you can love it, hate it, complain about it, or change it...but into your hands I placed something precious. Choice.

Well, the house is not selling soon it seems, so my husband transformed that jungle into a neat square of emerging vegetables. Now we wait. When those tiny flowers finally give up and turn to fruit, it is hard to ignore how you fundamentally feel about the world. As if you are a guest that is crashing some fabulous celebration where yes, the other guests get unruly now and then, and the conversation and noise can exhaust you, but there is no escape. Realize this, and take some time to taste the joy that is constantly put in front of you.