Lessons from my garden: Brokenness

There is something I try to remember to tell myself, that I have also begun to tell my kids. Things are not always as they seem. You never know what makes people act the way they do. What broke or spilled or frustrated them this morning. What run in they had with a family member. What illness or difficult circumstances they are dealing with.

This picture reminds me of that. Two identical iris plants. One looks lush, green and healthy. The other looks scrawny, weak and thirsty. But I know why. I divided my irises this year. They were huge, and well developed, so it was time to break them apart at the roots and replant them. The sick looking iris has been broken. The mature looking one in the back was actually the smallest plant in the garden, and looked to me not quite ready to be divided, so I left it alone. The divided ones may not bloom this year. They are busy reestablishing their roots. In time they will be more beautiful and prolific than before.

May people deal with me graciously when I am broken or reestablishing my roots. And may I do the same for them.