Dying Plants

I was in class and one of the student was describing a process of making a Chinese Tea and what are good/quality tea leaves out there in the market. As soon as I heard the word "leaves", my heart came out of my chest. My thoughts were, "Oh my goodness... I haven't watered my plants for 2 weeks!!!! Oh no! I'm so bad! How could I?"

It's been hot this past week here in Malaysia and the terror I felt for my plants was truly a "pure terror". I hurriedly drove back to our apartment and went straight to my plants. It broke my heart... there were a lot of dying leaves. They were just out there all this time begging me to notice them but my mind was somewhere else. I took the dead leaves and was talking lovingly to them, asking them to forgive me. I watered my plants and touched every surviving leaves. It is such a surprise to me that they survived all this while without water under a scorching sun.

While I attended to them, I thought of where my mind was all this time. Why did I forget? Well, this past 2 weeks I have been thinking and pondering about getting a dog (it's really because I am longing to hold a baby in my arms). I am thinking of what I don't have that I forgot to take care of the ones I have been given. And I wondered, am I forgetting Dennis too? I'm too focus on the things that I don't have that I don't take care and appreciate the great things that I have in my life. All I see is what is lacking.

My ingratitude truly was an eye opening experience. The general conference talked a lot about gratitude. I spoke to Dennis about this experience and I wept. I don't want to come home and find him withered away like my plants because I am there but not really present. I wept because I have forgotten my blessings... how truly bless I am for having such a wonderful husband who I can talk to at night in bed until sleep takes over.. and he's ever more present and aware of my needs. He constantly gives...

I am glad that I realized this before its everlastingly too late. I'm glad my plants waited patiently for me until I came back to my senses. It is such a shame. My Mama would be so disappointed in me - she loves all her plants - sings for them and water them daily the way she did to us (figuratively).

"Dennis... here I am. I'm here now..."