And as unfortunate as it is, some plants in my tiny flower pots have died. Perhaps, they could not brave the summer heat or maybe, I put too little water in, or maybe too much. Their leaves have slowly turned crisp, lifeless and brittle. And as unfortunate as it is, we must also be okay with clearing out things which have died, which do not stand the test of time or the season. It is the most important thing to do in life: to let things die if die they must. To go forward, one must be okay with pulling these plants and their roots out of the pots and planting new ones into them without worrying about getting their hands dirty. The key, naturally, is to consider what could have been done better, so we don’t make the same mistakes again. But we must not be afraid to pull them out. How else would we make space for new life to sprout?
But not all plants have died; there is wisdom there. Not everything thrives everywhere. Plants capable of burgeoning fail to last the summer in some places—this does not mean they were incapable of growth; it only means they were incapable of growth here. And the plants that have not died are, of course, more suitable for wherever here would be for someone. I reckon this is as close as we get to understanding other people. At least, this is as close as I will ever get to understanding other people.
Not all people thrive everywhere—this suggests little about anything, neither the people nor the environment. It only tells you what does not belong together. I think of this as I stand in the middle of hot summer, the breeze blowing about, making its best impression of cold air but failing miserably. I notice the sweat building up on my forehead, so I drink a glass of water. I pour the leftover sip onto the ponytail palm near the kitchen. I make a half-baked observation about this, but I fail to give it any coherence.
Not everything in life has to make sense. Some plants die because they die. There is, perhaps, no reason for most of it. Not all things capable of sprouting grow in even the most ideal conditions.
And yet again, this suggests nothing about anything, neither the things nor the environment. It is what it is.