I watered my garden again today, and let my mind wander as to how our semi-producing garden continues to be a metaphor for our healing lives. I related in this blog that my tomatoes were producing, even though they were wild and make the garden look overgrown and clutter.

The cucumbers have suddenly died out, likely a victim of our prolonged draught and my inability to consistently remember to go water the blasted things. And the zucchini plant that is eating our garden has yet to produce a single solitary fruit...but is great at squeezing the other plants out.

In my analogy this time, I think more of how my garden reminds me of LuLu and her many disabilities and leaps and lags in learning. Some of her skills are like the tomatoes, producing nice juicy fruit (albeit not as many as we’d hoped), but sweet just the same. And even though the tomato plants are messy and non-traditional-looking, the fruit still comes. Then there are portions that are like the cucumbers, producing some mediocre fruit for a while and then all the suddenly dying out.

Then there is the basil that looked almost as if it was going to die out, but didn’t and has made a very healthy comeback. The cherry tomatoes grown from seeds that are just now, so late in the season, deciding to flower and produce some tomatoes. And just like the maddening zucchini, LuLu has parts of her life that look very healthy and growing, even blooming at times, but never produces a single piece of fruit.

I’m optimistic for the future of my garden, and try to remain equally optimistic for LuLu’s future. This year has been one of extremes...first a late frost and now a long, hot, dry summer, not at all like the poor conditions LuLu had to endure in her early life. And each year I learn a bit more about how to prepare the soil, what types of seeds to use, when to plant, and how to care for the various fruits and vegetables. The same is true with LuLu, each year we learn more and more about the details of her disabilities and which treatments and interventions are making an impact in her growth.

I just keep thinking...next year I’m going to...and that keeps me reaching forward for tomorrow.


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