Each year the weeds grow abundantly in our yard. It isn’t that we encourage them, but more that we get busy with life and forget to pull them when they are small. So each year, sometimes several times a year, I venture out into the yard for a HUGE weed pulling. As last week was spring break from the teaching side of my life, I spent two glorious mornings in the process of weed pulling. I started in the back yard by our bedroom window. The rationale was that I could look out into the yard and see progress which would make me feel good and encourage me to keep going. It worked!! Several days later, I tackled the front driveway flower bed. That was such a success, I kept going along the front of the house where the lawnmower never cuts or magically weeds.
Here among the tall grass attempting to camouflage the house is where I found hope. Hidden by grass, weeds, and out of control roses was a calla lily. Now mind you it has probably been five to ten years or more since we planted a calla lily bulb or the remnants of a pot of calla lilies. Normally the process is to buy bulbs, plant them, have flowers bloom, wait for flowers to die, dig up bulbs, store bulbs, start over again at the plant bulbs step. Don’t get me wrong, I know the process broke down at the dig up bulbs step which would have needed my effort. I was to blame, and yet here is where the hope comes in.
Despite my lack of following the process or attending to calla lily needs, this beauty found the courage to bloom again this year. It was waiting for me to uncover it, photograph it, and remember that each of us can skip a step, start in the middle, or just lay waiting for the right moment when blooming is perfect. You see process is this funny thing; it isn’t linear at all. It twists and turns, and just about the time you think you know what will happen, a calla lily bursts into view. Blooming was the perfect thing for that calla lily and for me, as I remembered the cycle and process to life require patience and hope.
