Monthly Archives: March 2008

Spring is nearing—things are popping out of the ground and the beautiful Bradford pear trees are in full bloom. How wonderful it is to have the four seasons of the year. I lived in South Florida for a few years and it seemed there was only one season…hot all year. I missed the fall, winter and spring, and the red clay in the hills of North Georgia. There is something in that sticky red clay that makes vegetables taste so much better.
 
Every spring I get the urge to plant something. The area I have to plant is so small it’s hardly worth mentioning, but I just put a few tiny turnip and mustard seeds in the ground anyway. The most fascinating thing to me is the resistance of that tiny seed to sprout and push through the soil to express life. I know the soil I cover the seeds with is much heavier than the tiny seed, but the weight on top of the seed in no way deters it from pushing forth with resistance to grow and become what it’s supposed to be. I’ve always wondered about the innate intelligence of that tiny seed that causes it to resist, grow and become a live plant.
 
What is so impressive to me is this principle of resistance. It’s so prevalent in so many areas of our lives, causing us to expand, thrive and create.
 
I’m reminded of an experience several years ago after reading an article about the element of abscisic acid found in wheat. Still in the research stage, the article stated that the juicing of wheat grass (and drinking it) reverses the growth of tumors. It was specified that it must be untreated wheat and that one must place the seeds in 20-inch trays in the soil, then cover with wet newspapers until the tiny wheat seeds sprout. The newspapers must then be removed and the wheat is cut when it reaches several inches. It is then ready to be juiced to drink. Interestingly, the wheat continues to grow so one can harvest another crop.
 
In Georgia, we have a market bulletin published monthly by the Agriculture Department. One section advertises seeds. I began calling all over the state trying to find untreated wheat. The growers I spoke to thought I was some big farmer with acreage to plant, and when I told them I only needed about a pint of seeds, I could hear a gasp. I finally found a feed and seed store in Athens, Georgia, but had to buy a bushel. I was excited and couldn’t wait to receive it. At the time, I lived in an apartment in Atlanta, and I planted several trays, set them in warm sunny areas and grew the wheat, cut it, juiced it, and drank it.
 
The moral of my story is that so much in this universe thrives, expands and is created as a result of resistance. In this connection, when we view challenges and resistance from others, we should view them as opportunities in the natural course of events instead of blockages in our path that upset and annoy us. Perhaps it’s time we realized the difference between resistance and discord and stop making a discordant situation out of resistance. The tiny seed operates on resistance, expanding the exponential scale.
 
When I observe the joy and  wide-eyed wonder one of my small grandchildren expresses when they plant a seed and watch it grow, I think to myself, they must know something we don’t. I also think it doesn’t get any better than this.
 
Enjoy Freedom!
 
JUST ME,
AC