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Opinion

It takes courage to weed life's garden

Santiago Lopez
Opinion Columnist 

This morning I went out to water my garden and was pleased with how the tulips had bloomed. My hibiscus, though not producing any flowers right now, is thriving with green leaves and should sprout many of its full blossoms any day now. The several different-colored rose bushes are all either blooming or near bloom. However, there is one plant that has not thrived since I planted it last year. 

When I first bought the blue flower -- whose name escapes me -- I found it to be a strikingly attractive color. Once I transplanted it from the pot to the ground, the lone flower lived and flourished until the bud's lifespan had run its course. I waited, expecting to see another bud rise out from the ground, but no such event has occurred. Still, I water it diligently, talk to it and have made sure the area around it has been kept free of weeds.

I did this until I looked at it this morning and thought about how much it looked like a weed. 

It's possible that this unknown plant actually is a weed that produces a flower; after all, a dandelion is such a weed. But with no flowers blooming from this plant, I found myself digging it out this morning so that it can be replaced with another rosebush. It did not turn out to be what I thought it was, so I simply removed it from my view.

If only we, as people, could do the same with those in our lives who turn out to be something entirely different than what we expected when we first got to know them.

We've all been in relationships that seemed to have the potential to flourish. Only later do we find ourselves faced with the presence of a weed, which is nothing more than a wild plant growing where it is not wanted.

If we had green thumbs, we'd be strong enough to uproot that person from the garden of our life in favor of a relationship that would bloom fully.

However, when it comes to matters of the heart, there are no natural abilities to be found. Relationship skills are gleaned from experiences themselves; only in going through a relationship gone awry do we know what we want from the next.

Yet there are those who remain with the weed in their garden, if only because it is what he or she has grown accustomed to. A growing weed does not mean it is a flower; a bad boyfriend or girlfriend is not someone you should remain with for the long haul just because it's easier.

Even though the person may have been like the petals on a rose at first, one must not overlook any thorns on the stem. 

If one's significant other's blemishes cannot be fixed with a snip or two, then it is time to get a shovel and dig out everything about them. What will be left is the room to start fresh with someone else.

Of course, one has to want to remove the weed in the first place. Dandelions look nice but are not the foundation upon which to grow a garden. 

That human weed will only be a blemish in one's life until he or she decides to make a change. Just be strong enough to get the shovel and make that first move.

Lopez, a creative writing senior, can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu
 

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