Do You See Any Weeds?

Sometimes I see our garden is a battlefield. The titanic struggle rages on as I stand alone on one side and the evil world of weeds, pest and merciless drought on the other. At the moment, the weeds and pests are definitely prevailing. I am humiliated and deeply discouraged. The other day, however, our daughter surprised me when she confidently exclaimed:

But Mom, I don't see any weeds in our garden.

I was completely taken aback because it is quite obvious that in our garden there is hardly anything else to see but the weeds.

My daughter is completely blind! I thought horrified. Then it dawned on me,

Perhaps it wasn't her who was blind, but me! 

My visionary daughter was blind to the things that were clearly blocking my vision. She didn't see our garden as a battlefield and the weed-infested wasteland. She saw our garden as an immense gallery of butterflies, bug-eyed froggies, stubby-tailed lizards and an extravagant fireworks display of flowers – an endless kingdom of miracles inviting her daily to play and learn, frolic and grow.

I need more of such short-sightedness, I sigh as I internally take a step back from my intensity laden mission.

I get so lost in the battle and the weeds that I become blind to the glory all around me - the miracle packed reality hidden to the driven, preoccupied, inattentive eye. 

I ponder some more, wondering where this apparent incongruence will take me next.

Part of me also realizes that sometimes I am completely blind to the weeds of my life. I confidently proclaim, 

I see no weeds, all the while it is quite obvious to the eye of an experienced Gardener that weeds are everywhere. 

For, a true garden lover knows the difference between a weed and a marigold. Sometimes he lets them grow side by side, until the marigold has taken strong roots and can withstand an earthquake that pulling the weed next-door entails. He also persists in fighting pests and weeds until his flower beds are freed from impostors, seedlings planted and even the most secluded corner of the garden is full of the colorful luxury feeding every sense and, most of all, the soul of the gardener himself. Most of us, however, live in blessed ignorance and incompetence of a child while weeds prevail. 

Is there a wise gardener who knows and believes that I can do better, create more beauty than what currently, pathetically is? Can that person come alongside and show me how to reach that place of beauty and goodness? Am I willing to let go and surrender to his loving guidance, even when what he does makes no sense to me and seems to destroy me?

And so one mirror leads to another and the life starts getting an unspeakably richer dimension.