Buds and Seeds

 

        Turns out I was wrong about my amaryllis plants. This year we will enjoy two flowing plants.  The buds starting showing up early this week. One bud is showing part of a stem and the other seems to be deciding if it should peek out of the bulb. I'm grateful and surprised. Getting amaryllis to flower is not something I'm good at. I did not inherit the green thumb of my mother or father.

        At this time of year I have an itch to put seeds in the ground. There is something about seeds that has always fascinated me. Seeds don't look like much. Sometimes they are small brown and dry. Sometimes they are tiny specks almost too small to see. I like acorns with their jaunty brown caps and maple seeds with their wings that help them to sail on the wind. I even like the black walnuts that fall off the tree in our back yard, unless I accidentally step on one. Those things hurt.

        No matter what they look like all seeds have one thing in common. When put in the dirt or other growing medium they break open and a sprout appears. It's magical to me. At some point in time something in the seed opens up and begins to push resolutely through the dirt. At the same time roots are also pushing through the dirt providing an anchor and a way for the plant to get nourishment.

        Once the plant has sprouted and grown roots, the seed disappears. It has become a plant. That plant could be a tree that provides shade, a flower to provide food for bees and butterflies or ground cover to hold the soil in place. It could be a plant that provides food or medicine. Maybe it is a plant that can be used to create dyes or something that can be spun and woven into cloth.

        All of these things come from small insignificant looking seeds. A seed that is nourished with the right things at the right time can become a good thing in the world. 

        I feel the same way about people. Unlike a seed a person can become anything. You never know what someone will turn into. A person who is insignificant and easily overlooked, like a small seed, could turn out to be a force for good even if it is in one small part of the world. Be kind to the seeds and the people who are trying to put down roots or growing even if that person is you.