What You Have
The spineless cacti in the beds on either side of the drive are as limp as melted butter. The recent freeze did them no favors. But the peach tree. Oh, my. In a day or two, I do believe it will put a redbud to shame. There are buds everywhere. The big tree will celebrate spring in glorious fashion, and if the bees will come, we’ll have peaches this summer flowing across my countertop and filling the fruit jars when I can.
The marie pavia roses on the front porch have greened up nicely as well and should give fragrant welcome to any visitor who graces the steps between them. It’s hard to believe they were covered with a half inch of ice just three weeks ago. Same with the lavender in the southern garden along the back porch. The stalks are putting on new leaves and they’re returning to form, and that’s a truly nice surprise. I’m still concerned for the mountain laurels, but any tree with mountain in its name should be able to survive cold.
I suppose I just have to wait and see how. But isn’t that life? It’s all about waiting. Waiting for Christmas, for a birthday, for a call from your love, from a friend. Waiting for a wound to heal, for an apology, for a reply, for a haircut, for a tire change. Things come in time, but sometimes not at all. And you never know until you wait. And how you wait may ultimately be the key to happiness. One thing you learn over time is the wait doesn’t always go your way, but when it does you get a peach tree full of blooms and what you have is way better than what you don’t and should be celebrated.
John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver’s Tale