The Bumper Crop

      You can't tell it from looking at my yard but I am an avid gardener. I love the idea of planting something, nurturing it and seeing it develop into a marvelous blooming beauty. It just seems like a mini miracle to me that all that wonder can come from a couple of tiny seeds. I have the same awe when it comes to the vegetable bed. I guess truth be told I am a bit of a tomato snob. I have no use for those big tasteless red orbs the grocery store sells. I would much rather have a vine fresh sweetie from my own backyard.

      So this spring I planted six tomato plants as I do every year and hoped for the best. After bouts of bug infestations and disease this years hard working plants produced a bumper crop, much to my culinary delight! I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into that wonderful fruit and devour my first real BLT of the season. These tomatoes did not disappoint but after dozens of BLTs, bushels of bruschetta and barrels of salsa, I realized that I had more tomatoes than my family and I could ever possibly eat. Normally I would have started canning, but this year I decided to take advantage of an easy pay it forward opportunity, so I began giving them away, a few here, a half dozen there. And you know what? A funny thing happened. The more tomatoes I gave away, the more I had to give.

      For a long time I had it in my head that doing things for other people would take too much of my time, too much of my money and well too much of me. It would drain me in one form or another so I went through life gathering instead of giving. All the while priding myself on how efficient, organized and savvy I was, but something was missing. I think now looking back over the past six months I know what it was, joy. I was happy enough but I was missing out on some simple, small, wonderful joys. What I failed to realize is that by giving back in any form, I reap far more in the long run and these fruits are the type that don't go bad.

      There is great satisfaction in bringing happiness to another human soul. By giving, we connect and through connecting with one another we cultivate deeper, more meaningful relationships. There is ridiculous abundance in releasing your time, gifts, talents, stuff and yes even tomatoes to the world around you. If there is one lesson I have learned from these pay it forward experiences, it is that you cannot out give God. The more you do for others the more it comes back to you. So I will continue to give away the tomatoes, keeping an eye out for that next PIF opportunity. Enjoying in the meantime the simple pleasures that come from changing my focus. :)

Laurie