May 23, 2015
(This is part
of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and illustrate a blog on
each day's gift.)
I thought last spring would be the end. Last year, the rhododendron
plants barely bloomed. They looked sickly and I figured that they had lived out
their life on the south side of our house. These plants were here when we moved
into this house in 1981.
But I wasn’t ready to give up yet. Close to the end of
summer in 2014, I trimmed the bushes back and added some enriched mulch around
the base of the plants. I pretty much have a black thumb so I wasn’t expecting
any miracles. This year when the azaleas burst out in a vibrant array on the
north side, the rhododendron on the other side had some spotted leaves and a
few buds that looked like they were going nowhere. Now the azaleas are past
their peak but the magenta rhododendrons are basking in their glory. I like to
think that I had something to do with reviving them. Whoever would have thought
that a trim and some good dirt might make such a difference?
Now I’ve learned not to give up my expectations and to act
as an instrument of change. Just my small actions probably made a huge
difference. It’s possible too that small actions every day can effect change in
human lives. Smile at a stranger who seems to be under a cloud, give a word of
encouragement to someone who is struggling, find something good to say when too
many negatives seem to dominate, reach out to an old friend you haven’t seen
for a while. Little things do make a difference and I believe the rhododendron
will bloom again.
My gift today is magenta in bloom.
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