things on tables and things found on the street: A post about my plants

So I was tending to my plants the other day (I admit that I have been neglecting them for some time but good thing that most are hearty succulents) and just tending to them helped me understand some important lessons. Here are some of my observations:

1) I don't have a green thumb and I've always marveled at those who did have them . . . like my friend L. She can touch a dead plant and bring it back to life. Her home is filled with beautiful plants that all seem to say "we get well taken care of". But anyway, my point is that even though I am not your classic gardener, there is something nourishing about interacting with plants, and nature in general. I just felt so happy and full after tending to my plants -- pulling out the dead leaves, re-potting with fresh soil, trimming dead branches. It was nice to see young green shoots coming out of my plants. It meant that there was life and regeneration happening in my little pots.

2) Things grow when you nurture them.
I've thought long and hard about what makes things grow but I think it's simple really. Take care of something, nurture it, love it, and you'll see it grow.

3) I bought most of my plants at the grocery store. They were pretty, decorative items I bought on a whim but they've since moved from the store shelves, been transplanted into bigger pots, and have weathered their fair share of wind, heat, and cold. I can't really call them pretty but they are beautiful -- some have grown wild, rustic, and changed colors to adapt to a non-climate controlled space. Yes, you can't call them pretty any longer but they are still beautiful.

Did you know that British writer, G.K. Chesterton, abandoned atheism and came to believe in God after examining a dandelion? How amazing . . .