Reflections 6/30/2020: Hmmm… Ed and I have let this fringey green guy grow, not knowing what he was. Figured we’d give him a chance to show his true colors… flower or weed? Hated to make a snap judgment before he had a chance. BUT, it appears he is a weed. Dang! And now I’m kinda invested in him. Hate to just yank him up by the roots after all this nurturing time. But he’s starting to crowd out the true flowers in the area. Got me wondering what differentiates a weed from a flower. Here’s a master gardener’s definition: “Invasive plants (weeds) are usually non-native and are able to establish themselves within existing native plant communities; they threaten the integrity of the plant community by taking over and pushing out native plants.” (Ain’t touching the socio-political application of that with a 10-foot pole!) But, I do wonder about the spiritual ramifications of our weed vs. flower status? I think You value us whether we produce fancy flowers or not. Perhaps what makes us a weed in Your eyes is the degree to which we aggressively take over others’ legitimate space in our quest for selfish fulfillment. Exploitive power and space grabs! That’s why You make loving others such a critical part of Your Gardening strategy! Copacetic co-existence! Even nurturing blossoms in one another!