Growing, Growing, Gone

This post all started with my son Coconut feeling sad that our tomato plants have to die when winter comes.  "Why?" he asked repeatedly.  "Why can't they grow taller than the snow and stay alive?"  It touches me that this bothers him.  It makes my heart swell that he, in his 5 year old way, is trying to figure out a way to help them survive.  How do you explain to a child that everything grows old and eventually withers?  Nothing is meant to live forever. 

 

 

I knew the next question was coming, it always does.  "Why does God make things die?"  "Honey, God doesn't MAKE anything die.  Everything on our beautiful planet has a purpose - even us.  The tomato plant works hard all summer.  God gave it a job to do.  What a great job it does!  But soon it will get tired, having completed it's mission, and go to sleep into the earth.  Next year, when we plant our tomatoes, this plant will feed the new one, making it do an even better job at feeding us."  I watch him try and process this in his little brain.  So before he asks, I continue, "We all have a purpose, or a job to do - even you.  When we leave this earth, we go to Heaven."

 

 

He reminds me he doesn't want me die.  Or Daddy.  Or Peach and Pickle.  I hug him, give him the bowl of gathered tomatoes, red, plump and juicy.  Before I can say anything else...he's distracted by the excitement of his harvest, opens the front door yelling to his sisters to come and look at all the tomatoes. 

 

 

Tomatoes.  Sometimes the most mundane situations bring about the deepest thoughts.  Thoughts that make you appreciate where you are standing that very moment.  You are always blessed.  Always.  The trick is to peer into the darkness and find the blessing. 

 

I can't believe it but...tomatoes are so inspirational!

 

Happy harvesting,

 

Kathy Pettit