Two sayings come to mind:
Grow where you are planted.
A weed is a plant out of place.
Most of the time I identify with the weed while my good friend grew where she was planted. I’ve been thinking about this more than I care to admit and generally I question the wisdom of growing where planted. However, my thinking has shifted a bit in the past couple of days.
Growing where planted held a negative meaning as in, give up and just accept your circumstances. Planted means stationary to me; stuck in one place. But what if “where you are planted” means to reach out and find what you need in the place where you are. You may have to struggle but keep looking. Maybe the visual is about roots reaching down deep or far and wide to get to the necessary water.
Still, those same wildflowers that are so lovely covering the sides of the roads are not necessarily welcome lawn guests. And ultimately I think I would prefer to be that plant growing freely and happily in a field than a lonely weed struggling to survive the wrath of lawnmowers and pesticides.
Photo Zasiadko via Unsplash
