Against all odds...

Have you ever noticed how some things just seem to survive no matter what is thrown at them? Life should be virtually impossible and yet they flourish. What is the deal with that? I am referring to some ferns that have decided to grow on the side of the brick chimney although this could apply to some people as well. There are only tiny cracks where their roots have embedded themselves..no soil..no water..nothing to nourish the plant. How in the world are they growing? I baby plants in the garden. I give them fertilizer and water..I keep them relatively weeded..and keep the ground loosened but sometimes they still struggle. No matter how I try to help these plants nothing seems to encourage them to grow. Then there are these ferns, clinging to the bricks and to life. Determination has to play a huge part in their existence otherwise I am quite sure they would have withered away by now. Les Brown once said "Change is difficult but often essential to survival." I suppose these ferns knew that to survive they needed to change..they needed to adapt to their surroundings. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned from these small plants..we need to adapt to our surroundings. We can flourish if we learn to use what we are given and use it to the best of our abilities. Adapt, learn and grow.. something that is hard for many of us that are so set in our ways.

As I wandered around the yard this evening, I had to laugh at something that caught my eye. Years ago, I had picked up a small toy that was a remnant of hurricane debris. This particular toy was a little, plastic doll of some sort. I brushed it off and set it on a fence post with the idea of eventually cleaning it and finding a home for it. It was a cute little thing. Today, I found it again..still on the same fence post..only now it was completely encased in a mesh of rose vines. The poor little doll appeared to be trapped! I started to rescue her but then a thought..she had survived the worst hurricane to hit here and went on to live quite happily on a fence post for about four years. There she stayed through rain, sleet and wind..not to mention several tropical storms and a couple of minor hurricanes. She is a survivor..a staunch, determined survivor! Perhaps that is exactly where she should stay as a delightful little reminder of perseverance..of survival.