“A plant is
the most patient
and forgiving teacher.” 
Srikumar Rao

When I first met Kathy back in August 1984, to welcome me to my new job at Saint Lawrence Parish in Santa Clara, she gave me a beautiful plant for my office. It was a nice addition to what was otherwise a fairly bland workspace. For the first few months, the plant was situated on my desk. I enjoyed it immensely, as it was a constant reminder of Kathy’s gracious hospitality. Sadly, it struggled to survive, as there was insufficient sunlight in the room. My secretary at that time recommended that we move the plant into her office, adjacent to mine. Two of her four walls were floor-to-ceiling glass, one with a western exposure. The afternoon sun in that location was plentiful. The plant thrived for ten years.

When my responsibilities at Saint Lawrence changed in 1994, I moved out of that office and into one of the classrooms of the parish high school where I worked for the next 21 years. I brought the plant with me. For a while, it seemed to be doing well in its new environment, but as time went on, it began to show signs of distress. Hoping to give it new life, I brought the plant home. The lack of sufficient sunlight there, combined with my own lack of attentiveness, resulted in the plant experiencing a slow death. Nurturing plants was definitely not a gift with which I was blessed.

A little more than a year ago, our youngest son, Brendan, asked if it might be possible for him to move back home for a while. He had been living in a rental house in Santa Clara with two friends, but the landlord informed them that the rent would be increasing sharply, so all three sought alternative living situations. Kathy and I were happy to welcome Brendan back into our home.

Kathy and I enjoy and appreciate Brendan’s presence. One of the perks of having him living here is that we get to enjoy the beauty of the various plants Brendan is growing in and around our home. Some are in his room, while others are strategically placed in the living room, the dining room, the guest bathroom, our front patio, and in various spots around the perimeter of our home. He meticulously cares for these plants and, unlike me, seems to know exactly what each type of plant needs to flourish. Our home environment is much improved thanks to Brendan’s gift of growing plants.

As I’ve mentioned so many times previously in my writing, I am tremendously grateful for this sacred space we call home. We’ve lived here for almost 38 years. This residence, and the community in which it is located, has served us well. The addition of Brendan’s plants, and Brendan’s presence himself, has created an even more welcoming, nurturing environment for Kathy and me to live… and thrive.

American horticulturist, Liberty Hyde Bailey, pointed out, “A garden requires patient labor and attention. Plants to not grow merely to satisfy ambitions or to fulfill good intentions. They thrive because someone expended effort on them.” This is exactly what Brendan has done.

More than two thousand years ago, the Roman philosopher, Marcus Tullius Cicero, stated, “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Gratefully, my home has been blessed with both.