Another Way of Looking

Dear Family and Friends,

My apartment has a teeny patch of earth. I am allowed to plant whatever I want there. I tried vegetables, but the bugs got to them faster than I could keep up. So, now I have only flowers. I love going out each morning to say hello and to check on how everyone is doing. This season they are all joyously abundant and alive. 

However, in between my precious flowers, and in the entire front lawn of my apartment building, there is a lovely, but prolific, unwanted intruder. It is amazing how tenacious it is. Within a day it grows a few centimeters, and after a rain, the place is a mass of its fluttery, lacy green. The roots must run deep because somehow, they have found a way into my small garden. They shoot up overnight. And they seem to smile maliciously at me when I come out to greet my floral companions.

I try to keep pace with these gracious “weeds”, but on my own I cannot. The yardman comes periodically and cuts them all down. And then we start again. One shoot after another, until the yard is almost impassable because of them.

I try to keep pace with these gracious “weeds”, but on my own I cannot. The yardman comes periodically and cuts them all down. And then we start again. One shoot after another, until the yard is almost impassable because of them.

I was intrigued, so asked her how to use it. “Dry it, then make a tea from it”, she said. “The color will be light yellow, the taste mild, but the health benefits will be enormous.”

So, of course, I tried it. I found the taste subtle, but also rich and full-bodied. I sipped it in wonder, trying to visualize its gentle yellow color entering my body, in turn, helping me to glow in health.

I also smiled in humility. I realized what I had considered a bothersome weed was actually a friend offering wonderful benefits. I just had to be shown another way of looking. When I did that, my narrow perspective opened up, and the entire world changed for me.

I hope to drink this tea often. I will probably share it with friends, too. Then all of us can benefit and feel more positive and healthy throughout the day. 

Love,

Anne