Lesson from the Pea Plants
Each year my partner grows an enormous garden. It takes up the majority of our back yard. He starts early in February and March selecting seeds, setting up the greenhouse. Our family room becomes a nursery for the plants that will become our garden. There is lots of love and care given to the plants.
In the spring as the weather begins to warm, our patio table becomes a sunning bed for the young seedlings. My partner carefully moves the plants out of the greenhouse and on to the table to nourish them with the Colorado sun. Late each afternoon he brings them back in. He does this day after day until after Mother’s Day. He watches his plants and carefully removes the bottom leaves off the tomatoes and and the buds of the squash plants.
When I ask him why, he tells me they are not ready to produce fruit yet. He wants their roots to be strong and healthy so that they will produce well when they are planted. He grows more food than we can possibly eat.
Each year he grows a patch of peas— all kinds of peas. He has scaffolding to hold up the peas as the climb towards the summer sun. They are delightful and whimsical. They send out tethers that swirl and curl around each other and the scaffolding. They are delicate and intricate. He will often say to me, “Walk with me in the garden.” I slowly walk around the garden, taking the tour with him of his precious plants he has tended all winter long.
“Did you see the tomatoes? Oh, and there are tons of blossoms on the raspberry vines. And the grapes have more grapes on them than ever before.” It is like magic watching the plants grow and evolve. The other day he asked me if I would pick the peas. I grabbed a small pot he uses for his seedlings, thinking that I would only get a handful of peas.
I began strategically at one end, working my way up the stalk and down the rows. I had filled the little pot and stood up and looked at my haul. As I am terribly heat intolerant, I took a step back into the shade and to my amazement, I found more peas. I grab a second little pot and went about picking again. Again I filled the pot with peas. Getting hot again I took a step back into the shade, standing in a slightly different spot. To my amazement, I saw more peas!
How could this be possible? I had strategically felt with my hands up and down the plants and up and down the rows, and yet there they were. This time I went and got a bowl and poured the peas from the small pots into the bowl and took another step back, admiring my harvest. Wouldn’t you know, there emerged an entire bunch of peas I hadn’t seen in three pickings before. Again I set about picking and before I knew it, the bowl was filled.
Each time I had been so sure that I had picked all of the peas, there couldn’t possible be anymore. I called to my partner to come admire my harvest. “Beautiful” he says to me and reaches in and picks an entire handful more of peas.
Wow, I think to myself. Every angel revealed things I had not seen. In passing, my partner said, “Check out and see what is on the smaller patch of peas in the planters.” So I did. I thought to myself, even after the harvest I had just picked, thought to myself, I have walked past this plant no less tan ten times this morning, they are looking pretty dry and droopy— there can’t possible be any left on those plants.
It is funny how nature teaches us when we least expect it. I began to look more closely at the pea plants and wouldn’t you know it, I found peas! I found an entire cup filled to the brim with peas from plants where I least expected it. Before I knew it my little cup was overflowing and my hands were overflowing with peas.
As I stood there looking at the peas I wondered what lessons we could learn from the peas. Here is what I found. 1. Strategies are great, but not fail-proof. 2. When you think you have all the information, take a step back and look at it from another angel and perspective. 3. Looks can be deceiving. 4 Look a little closer and then step back again. 5 There is often more there than what you initially see. 6 Don’t under estimate taking a time out and cooling down: often you will see things in a new light. 7 Be open to unanticipated possibility.
After I deposited all the peas together and harvested some zucchini, I walked one last time past the pea plants. Sure enough, I found one last pea! What will you find in yourself and or in your relationship if took lessons from the pea plant. Come explore the lessons from the pea plants of yourself and your partner.
