From January seedlings to May's still young plants, the day has finally come to pick our first beautiful Tomatoes. I give myself a pat on the back. They are strong, beautiful, and healthy. I spend one day away, ignoring them, while at my other full time job...landscaping. Upon my return the third day, I discover there are worms sinking their ugly bodies into otherwise flawless flesh. I kick myself "once" and move on, promising to never go a day without nurturing my babies.
An older man I encountered at the grocery store turned my tomato epiphany into a parenting epiphany. He smiled as he watched my children climb all over the basket. He turned to me and said, "Enjoy them while you can, you'll blink and they are out of the house." His gentle eyes told me that he didn't ignore many days of his children's lives.
~Mark
