Warning: this is another of those metaphors that seems profound to me. But may not to anyone else… 😉 As my beloved points out, they don’t work for him.

Because today, as I watered my orchid terrarium, I noticed: there are buds! That little stem of green bubbles, held by a pink orchid clip, is buds! And I have done nothing lately to deserve them. They are total largesse.

Here’s my epiphany, brought to you as metaphor: I did prepare the terrarium well. It had held other plants, which had struggled, and it pretty much looked like a plant graveyard. Sooo. I gently discarded the poor has-beens, scrubbed out the terrarium, washed off the pieces of wood, and rinsed the gravel in the bottom. Then I put it all back together, w/ some pieces of orchid litter — more commonly known known as bits of wood & peat moss and very loose planting medium. My sisters donated two orchids ~ one sickly from neglect, the other in fair health. I planted them and pretty much forgot about it, watering only when I watered the other plants on the étagère.

Here’s the secret, as it is w/ most things that blossom & bear fruit (literally or figuratively): that laying of foundations. The prep! I didn’t just stick ’em in to the dirty, probably diseased terrarium w/ the dying plants already there. I made sure the terrarium was clean, free of debris & disease. I found orchid planting mix. And then I settled them in w/ gentle love.

Now? They’re blooming! And they are sooo pretty! Which leads me to…. The coffeepot. (Bear with me…) I just descaled our amazing new coffeepot. It pretty much thinks for itself: grinds the beans, just enough to match however much water you pour in, and then beeps you when it’s done. But it still takes maintenance. Most things do, if you’re going to be able to continue counting on them. Descaling took about as much time as setting up the terrarium for the orchids. So that’s today’s lesson: if you want stuff to do well, you have to work at it. You have to lay a good foundation, and then you have to do the required maintenance. If you do? You get orchids! And incredibly good coffee.

I’m thinking…this is what my whole attitude needs. To be cleaned up, freed from struggling thoughts that really should just be tossed out, and replanted. Then maintained regularly. Yup. That’s my next project, right after I stop oohing & ahhing over the orchids. Oh! And have a cup of tea (the coffeepot is still full of vinegar…)