The Strength

  Pop used pull out the morning glories that would come up in the flower beds.  He was meticulous about his gardens and whatever he deemed a weed was immediately pulled and trashed.  However, he did allow them to grow on the fence lines where I admired their loveliness.  His gardens were the talk of the town for their beauty and neatness.  I can only imagine that he cringes when he looks down upon my feeble attempts at raising plants.  I love them but I also do not have the heart to pull out anything that blooms or looks interesting.  I figure if a plant is determined to grow in the garden, then I should not be the one to judge its worthiness.

  This morning as Mr. PJ (the old dog) and I were out strolling the hillside, I found a tiny morning glory that was bound and determined to be its best.  As a seed, the little thing had had the misfortune to be cast in the lawn instead of the soft dirt of the garden.  Still, it sprouted and tried to compete with the sod.  The whole vine was not more than a foot long but it had a bloom!  One of the deepest, richest purple blooms that I have ever seen was on that tiny vine! The flower was tattered and torn but, in my book, it still just as lovely as a floral shop rose!  I was so impressed by the tenacity of the volunteer plant that I figured I will put a nix on anyone cutting the grass until the plant is finished doing its plant thing.

  Sometimes we just have to keep on "keepin' on" even though the road is a tough travel.  The little plant, this morning, let me know that no matter the challenges, there is always a way. The strength will come.  So...when things look grim...be a morning glory!