By Lizette Barretto Gueco | South of Metro |
It had been an unusually hot summer. Temperatures exceeded last year’s record breakers. Every year, summer seems to be hotter by at least a degree or so. El Niño had certainly unleashed his fury upon us. Humans, as well as flora and fauna have suffered much.
My garden has suffered much as well. The normally lovely carpet of immaculate blue grass had turned brown and brittle. Only the weeds were thriving in the summer heat as they aggressively took over my garden. They grew faster than I could pull them out. I planted some tomatoes but it seemed to be taking a while for them to bear anything resembling a tomato no matter how much I cajoled and pleaded with them. I also tried planting cantaloupes early in the year by the edge of my garden hoping that it would bring me a surprise.
The first real rain came a few days ago as we were anticipating another hot and sweltering day. What a relief that was. The air was less muggy and seemed much cooler. My daughter and I took this opportunity and went out to the garden to do our happy dance in the rain. We had so much to be thankful for. As we tilted our heads to the sky and allowed the raindrops to trickle down our faces, we caught a glimpse of the majesty of God’s hand. The power of the universe. We saw goodness overcome the bad as the heavens opened up and poured its blessings onto my parched garden. My droopy plants seemed to instantly straighten up as they drank in the nourishing rain.
So timely too, as I felt the rain wash away and purify me from all of my negativity. My clouded, dusty thoughts became clear again. As I walked through my garden and checked on my plants, I was pleasantly surprised to find my tomatoes flowering with promises of tiny cherry morsels to garnish my salad. Ecstatic too, to find a lone cantaloupe the size of a marble so perfectly round, waiting to grow into a succulent and juicy melon for my table.
The tomato and the cantaloupe were biding their time and preparing to come out during the worst part of the intense summer heat. Maybe I didn’t notice, but the signs were there. Nourished by the sun and by my own hand via a watering hose and some crushed eggshells and coffee grounds, the tomatoes and cantaloupe were slowly but surely finding their way into the world. It was all part of a master plan and in the most perfect of times, it would emerge and give nature the gift of their glorious selves.
In my parallel world, there always is a plan and always, always the perfect time. The rain came to wash the grime from the windows of my soul so I can clearly see the master plan that had been laid out for me. Through the dry and the rainy seasons of our lives, I have learned that with the bad also comes the good. It is in finding the balance and trusting that it will work out at the best time that we get the very best results. Great faith and patience is key.
So on that rainy afternoon of discovery and enlightenment, I felt a new hope burgeoning in me. As my garden flourishes and my plants start to flower and bear fruit, the weeds too, struggle to sprout amidst the blue grass in my garden as well as in my parallel life. Comforted by the feeling of peace that wraps around me like a favorite blanket, I try to find the harmony and the sacred balance in these things until all makes perfect sense.
They say change is good and is finally coming. I say bring it on.
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About the Author
Lizette Barretto-Gueco
Lizette Barretto Gueco is a contributor at South of Metro. She writes about her life’s passions which are family, home, food, relationships and how they fit in perfectly in her scheme of things and in the circle of life.
Lizette is now a busy home based mom after working in marketing and the travel industry for some time. She also ventured into jewelry design while she was a partner at a prestigious jewelry store at Greenbelt 5. Aside from juggling family schedules and managing the home, she also finds time to bake and sell her sweet offerings from her home as well as indulge in her other hobbies like jewelry making and arts and crafts. She is an amateur filmmaker, traveler, foodie, dreamer and lover of life.
Lizette is a graduate of AB Communication arts from the Ateneo de Manila University. You can email her at lizbgueco@gmail.com
