A Lesson from Lettuce

The rain is pouring steadily in Passaic today.  Luckily, we've had the right combination of sunshine and rain to benefit our vegetable garden, which is growing in leaps and bounds.  This morning, the lettuce, in particular, seemed to beg to deliver a message, so I stopped to listen to the lettuce -- yes, in the pouring rain!  Here's what I learned:

• Make someone's day, even when it's dreary outside! The reason that I noticed the lettuce was because it had grown so much over the weekend that it truly stood out over and above the other vegetables.  It isn't taller than the tomatoes or higher than the herbs, but it just seemed to glow despite the dreariness of this Monday morning.  Perhaps today we could decide to emulate the lettuce and be the glowing, healthy part of another person's day.
• Continue to give, even (and especially) when you've been cut back or torn apart! Claudia, our City Green garden consultant, reminded us that we should cut or tear off a section of the leaves as the lettuce continues to grow.  This section will then produce more leaves.  Isn't that a life lesson?  When we feel cut back or torn apart is when we have the greatest potential for new growth!
• Stay Cool!  I'm told that lettuce is a "cool-season crop" that will be "done" by July.  I thought, perhaps, that the lesson here was to take the summer off, but then I thought twice.  While summer always reminds us to keep our cool, as we scramble for air conditioned places when the mercury reaches 90 degrees and above, perhaps the greater lesson is to "stay cool" and relax in heated situations that would normally cause us stress. 

So today, consider the lessons of lettuce.  If you need some help, here are some photos of lettuce from the garden at 153 Washington Place.  As always, we are grateful to our benefactors who continue to sustain our growth in all ways!