“Not my rosemary!”
It was too late. And it wasn’t just the rosemary, it was the just-about-to-bloom-perfectly purple African daisies, too.
Flat. Broken. Kaput.
My almost green thumbs ached, as did my heart, as I observed the aftermath and began to remove the snapped stems and branches.
Some dog, about yae-high, decided my front door garden needed him to roll in it. I had never seen this dog before. He didn’t belong to any neighbors that I know of. Like a phantom – phantom of the garden – he nose-dived right into the flower bed and then was gone just as quickly. I dreaded telling my husband, since the daisies were his addition to the bed this year. These daisies originally looked as though they’d been peeled straight from coloring book pages, their petals beautifully symmetrical in diameter, surrounding a perfect, circular button center. I was delighted that my husband took interest in the flowers this year, and the fact that he chose the daisy was fitting – a simple, yet strong variety. 🙂 And then there is my favorite, the rosemary. Just earlier this same day, a friend had commented on the sheer size of her and how healthy she looked. She has been in our garden for about 5 years now and has enjoyed two full seasons of blooming (something I had never had a rosemary do before). Planted by the front door, as ancient folk lore has it, to bring health and prosperity to all who pass her by.
Stupid dog. “Where were the owners?”, I thought. “I would never let my dog run around the neighborhood loose”. Even my kids got in on the pity party, as they had helped over the years and this season in nurturing the garden. Our youngest said, “Man, we have about a hundred dollars worth of plants in our yard, just for some dog to come and mess them all up.”
Fast forward to the next morning. The boys and I head out to our local nursery to find a replacement plant for the spot the daisy had it’s claim on. As we were checking out, I explained to the nursery worker why we were purchasing the new plant. Without missing a beat, or joining in on the pity party, she said words that, to this very minute, bring a smile to my face.
“Well, I bet the dog sure smelled nice afterwards!”
Hmm. I bet he did!
Again, I found myself caught up in the details that I felt were important, and I almost missed the opportunity to delight in a positive. Man, is the Holy Spirit working on me! Did that dog come to my garden to cause me thumb (heart) ache? No. How silly would that be! He was just doing what dogs do, and he happened to admire my garden.
The rosemary will replenish itself. To be honest, it needed a little pruning, anyhow. I took the broken branches and tied them up with jute and hanged them in my kitchen to dry. I will be enjoying some fresh dried rosemary in pot roasts this fall. And the daisy? The nursery worker told me to leave what was unbroken, albeit flattened, as it may surprise me and perk up. Sure enough, this morning, two purple flowers opened. It’s going to make it after all!
“Lord, please help to slow me and show me another side of situations I find myself in. There are so many times I stress over things that are not even worthy of my energy. Please help my eyes and my heart see the positives, so that I may enjoy the full blessing of your love through all situations and opportunities. Amen.”
That little black dog now serves as a reminder to shake off the small stuff. That is indeed a blessing.
the toenail 