BASIL

Some things must die for others things to flourish.

On my early morning bike ride I pass an old Asian woman's house. She uses a walker and looks at least 90 years old. Each morning she is out in her garden watering her 15 lush basil plants. I am amazed at how green and bushy they are, especially in the hot desert sun and I marvel at her tenacity to keep them thriving. I wonder what she does with all that basil. Does she sell it or give it away? Does she make jars of pesto? Does she sell it to the Thai restaurant around the corner? I've always been envious of her garden because I just don't have the patience to put in the work it takes. This morning, however, she was out there digging them all up. They were not lush or green. They were not thriving. They were shriveled and sparse. I felt instantly sad. And then it occurred to me that she was removing something that could no longer flourish. Something that had lived out it's life. Something that was ultimately dead and she could not make it come back because it had run its course. I rode on thinking....

I have faith, that if I was to pass her next Spring...she would have new plants. Big, green, lovely plants. And that made me smile. 

November 14, 2014