after the bad thing happens
I have always loved getting my hands in the dirt outside. But since moving to the house we live in now five years ago, I’ve had pretty good luck with house plants too. It started with a house warming gift, then my daughter and I discovered a fabulous nursery in north Seattle, Swansons; they have the most gorgeous house plants. I brought two home. Then we went back and I brought one more home. Now I have eleven. We live close to water, so I think the moisture in the air is helping them thrive. Every few weeks I take the large ZZ plants outside to water so I can really drench them and let them drain for a few hours before I bring them back in. They have become huge (by my standards and ability to grow house plants), sprawling, and absolutely fantastic. I love them. My grand dog Beans (he’s a French Bulldog) loves to hide behind them.
On one of these trips through the front door, which is a bit of a Cheeze Whiz experience for the plant, one of the stems broke off. Rather than toss the broken stem into the compost, I put it in a vase of water and kept it on my kitchen counter where it gets indirect bright morning light. I kept the water clean and gave it some time. After a few months, I noticed tiny white nubs of root growing from the breakage point. It wasn’t quite ready for soil and a pot yet. A bad thing happened to it and it needed to rest, some tender specialized care, and a chance to get its bearings about it. But once those little roots started, they grew quickly. While it took two months for the little guy to start the nubs of new life, once they started, they took off like a puppy growing into its paws. Each time I checked on them, they added clear growth. Before I knew it, they had three inches of roots coming out of the breakage point and were ready to be planted in rich soil in their own beautiful new pot. So, I gave it to a friend at work and now he has a new plant instead of just a bad thing happening to my plant.
One afternoon I was at a reception for a well-respected colleague who was leaving his position when a co-worker, who used to be a student of mine, came up to introduce me to a person new to our staff. In the introduction, he told her how much I helped him when he was my student and went through a difficult time. He was a very bright student who had a full ride college scholarship for his academic promise. But he struggled mightily and faltered several times. We spent many hours in my office as he tried to get his bearings. He took some time off from school to take care of himself for a while, came back as an online student for a bit because it was easier for him to manage, and finally returned to complete his degree. Instantly, the broken plant came to my mind. I told him about this plant that had a bad thing happen to it. And when that bad thing happened to it what it needed was a little time to rest, some care and a chance to heal, and now new roots are growing and it’s ready to thrive again. Emotion clouded his eyes and he thanked me. I told him I think God’s creation is very consistent and we are a part of it. A bad thing can happen to a plant or a person and with time and loving care, both can find a way to thrive again. Like the new plant, this former student who struggled through his pain and regained a new place from which to thrive is now a graduate enrollment counselor who helps people find their path.
