The Almighty Weed


Often, our weeds can bring out the worst in us.
We pull them out. We burn them. We burn them.
We try all kinds of weed abatement, a million-dollar industry.

We even pour cement over them. Having done all that, we get excited when we go outside to discover they have gone and gleefully throw our weed poison away.

However, lo and behold, after some time, the weed was back, basking in the sunshine, determined to thrive for another day. I’ve often reflected on weeds and have come to admire their resilience. No matter how they are treated, they continue to push through, come rain or shine.

In our garden, I believe that “The Almighty Weed” teaches us how to live and thrive, no matter how difficult life may be. When others count us out, we should be motivated to rise and keep moving forward.

When we feel unappreciated, it’s reminiscent of those weeds that are often hated, discarded, and poisoned. Yet, despite this neglect, they continue to appear. Outside my garage, a small weed was growing through a crack in the cement. I found it amusing and eventually grew to admire that brave little weed.

My relationship with this weed went on for months. Then a day came when I looked for my tiny weed, and it was no longer swaying in the wind. I confess I had wept because it had become my secret little friend. But I needed to get a grip. I felt that it had come to teach me in its unique, weedy way about not giving up physically and emotionally. It taught me not to judge others on how I was treated, but to be careful not to judge anyone else.

Now, I am not suggesting that weeds shouldn’t be removed in an environmentally safe manner, but this “Almighty Weed” became my teacher, showing me the importance of perseverance in difficult circumstances. It taught me to keep moving forward, no matter how tough life gets. My little weed encouraged me to laugh and to care for it by watering it from time to time. I am sure my gardener thought I was eccentric or nuts, but that did not matter. I often went out to my garage to check if that weed had returned, but it was gone for good.

We are encouraged to awaken to what is good and ‘real’ within life, listening with our hearts, loving nature, happy to dance, sing, and laugh often. It was necessary to bend low to connect with that ‘Almighty Weed,’ which strengthened my back through laughter, reminding me to focus on what gives me strength and resilience.

This is our life challenge—let us embrace it with love.

Our physical, mental, and emotional weeds come and go, allowing us to be brave and resilient through the evolving journey of our lives. It teaches us that everything matters and that nothing in our lives is insignificant.

Everything in life has a purpose, be it great or small, or seemingly unimportant, even that “Almighty Weed”. . .

The Garden of Life Brings Comfort and Joy
To Our Emotional & Spiritual Well-Being.

~Author Elizabeth Upton