Seeds of Doubt

Full confession here. I doubted my husband. He is an incredibly talented man with many skills and abilities. But when he came home from work one autumn day with several seed pods, along with intentions of turning them into huge bald cypress trees in our backyard, I had my doubts. Could these wrinkly little nuts, which resembled a naked version of the spiky balls of destruction from my least favorite tree, really turn into something so grand? But there they sat for weeks in our fridge, right beside the parmesan cheese and strawberry jelly. I’d explain to fridge-opening guests, “No, we have not become exotic fruit connoisseurs. Those are just our baby trees awaiting planting day. Obviously.” 

Once the hypothermic incubation time was over, the seeds made their way to several of our sunroom window sills buried in little pots of soil. Seemed fitting to me, to bury that which was dead. And after months of having lovely containers of black dirt on display in my house, my doubts were confirmed. Or so I thought.

On a whim, my husband moved the containers outside to a table on our deck. As it turns out, the warm summer sunshine and drenching rains were all those little pots of dirt needed. From the window one morning, a speck of green caught my eye. I went outside and stared in amazement at the life shooting out of the dirt. I could almost hear the little thing proclaim, “That’s right, lady. I showed you, didn’t I?” 

Well, the next several days consisted of five more little green sprouts making their proud debut and growing taller by the second. There may have also been a few moments of eating my words with a side of humble pie. 

Now, these mini trees are not even close to graduating to the ground in our backyard but they are definitely growing. I don’t know why I ever doubted the guy. I can imagine sitting in our sunroom years from now, looking out at the majestic beauties while being teasingly reminded of that time I laughed at a bunch of refrigerated seeds and pots of empty dirt. 

Yes, we need to bloom where we are planted. But I guess there are also those times we must relocate; remove ourselves from places and situations where we are not meant to be. Take steps of faith. Make some changes so that our roots can run deep. Surround ourselves with nourishing light and cleansing water.

Because that’s where growth happens. Just ask the little guys on my deck.

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