The Strawberry Chapter 12

The Strawberry Chapter 12

by Katherine Aguilar

Precious moments seed

The many seeds sown throughout one’s life, combined with others’ seeds, can make a difference and have an impact.

There are times when people are counted out of seed throwing because of their physical or mental state. This chapter shares two seeds that others who didn't know they were capable of throwing seeds because they were counted out by family or society.

These two seeds, which came my way, are stored in my trinket seed box. A place for things I remember now or in the future. The way I have interacted with people with special needs shapes how I interact with others on earth, making an impact when others don't think they can.

This story takes place at a Convalescent Home. It is where babies, children, or adults who need to live are taken. If they do not have a family to care for them, or if they become too much for the family to handle. As with Nursing Homes. Once children or adults are dropped off, the family doesn't return to the facility.

I have a soft spot for the special needs and the elderly.

Action Seed

This "action seed" was planted in my mind when I was little, and it has stuck there ever since. I am not going to say I go around a parade of happiness all day long. I do get sour.

One thing, though, which will set me off is picking on special needs children or the elderly.

Did I ever work in a convalescent home for the disabled? NO, but my mother did. She had no babysitter the day of this story. We went to work with her. She explained that no one would visit the disabled children, and that we should go and play with them.

Now, for a nine and ten-year-old to see this. I could see there was sadness in this place. We heard shouts and noises. Most of these children and young adults had been at the center since their birth.

My siblings and I made friends with these children. There was a patient who stood out in my mind. Stephanie was in a wheelchair/recliner. She was able to see. But every part of her body was crippled. She cried and cried. But the only thing that would make her happy was when the nurses said to her, "Stephanie, look at your pretty socks." " She would stop crying. Now the small act of mentioning Stephanie's socks brought her much joy.

I kept this in my memory at the time. I combined it with memories of applying lotion to elderly people's hands and feet, which was in my trinket box of how to care for people. Those two trinket memories helped me spend time with Stephanie. I applied lotion to her hands and feet and talked about her pretty socks.

Whenever I have come across a person who is disabled. I go back to my trinket box of memories and use what I have learned in how to interact. I still implement today.

Stephanie was at least twelve years old. She had already been in the Convalescent home for at least five years. Her family left her and never returned. While Stephanie may have been counted out by her family and society. She taught me a valuable lesson.

It demonstrated how I should treat people who were counted out before they were even given a chance to get started. I have added additional items to the trinket box over the years. To expand my interactions with people with special needs.

She planted a seed when many thought she had no seed to plant.

Learning to Plant

One day, a few years back. I thought about my grandfather. I mentioned at the beginning of this book. He didn't speak English. Nor did the family spend too much time with him. But in the memories I have of that time frame. I remembered he had taken containers and planted grapefruit seeds. As I was thinking of this memory.

If grandpa could grow plants. Why can't I?

I have seriously had no green thumb over the years. I would plant all sorts of seeds, and nothing grew. After remembering grandpa and his planting. I told myself there has to be a way for me to learn how to get something to grow. So I did some research. Yes, research on how to plant. I looked up soil, watering care, timing, and how to plant the seeds. I even asked a young person. Did your grandma grow plants? She said yes. She told me about her grandma's secret. She said her grandma had a beautiful and bountiful garden. Her grandma's secret is all about communicating with the plants. I thought it sounded pretty ridiculous when I first heard it. Still, I gave it a try. I wanted a bountiful harvest like her grandma. It wasn’t going to hurt for me to try. Making time to talk to the plants.

Taking all I learned about planting and putting it together. I got some seeds from vegetables and fruits we already get from the grocery store's vegetable aisles and planted them. I didn't even care what the seeds were. I just wanted to see if I could get some to grow.

I see plants, the seed, and I implemented everything I had researched. I had plants growing. I have even had plants I forgot I planted popping up. I have given plants away. I have been expanding my knowledge of planting to propagation. All for the reason I wanted to see if I could do it.

Growing in my faith is part of my growth, like plants. Doing research and digging in to find out how to build inside of me and share with others.

While my memories of interacting with Grandpa were limited. I learned just by seeing his potted plants.

People can learn at any age. I am still filling my trinket box with things I may need to use now or in the future.