“SEE MY CAT TAIL!” The little girl exclaimed as I passed her on the path. She was so excited I didn’t mention that it was not really a cat tail. Her treasure was the fruiting structure of a weed in the grass family. I make a point to pull this plant from my yard before the “cat tail” appears so this weed will not populate my yard.
As I picked blueberries I overheard her share her joy in her “cat tail” with many of the other pickers. Her grandmother would patiently remind her that their mission was blueberries.
My granddaughter has some pots of Texas wildflowers on my porch. Some of the plants look like weeds to me. I desperately want to pull them out and dispose of them. My granddaughter has made me promise not to pull them until the bloom appears so we are sure it’s a weed. She was right. A couple of plants I labeled as weeds have produced blooms that are quite attractive.
I kept the “cat tail” in the pot to remind me to enjoy the simple treasures of life while still focusing on my mission and not to be quick to label a challenge a weed when it could be a blessing in process.
