Like Tomatoes on the Vine

This goes out to my grown up daughter, who is celebrating her birthday today. She’ll understand the connection/reference of these tomatoes. Let’s just say that she and her significant other have become profound gardeners.

I like to think I had some small influence on my daughter’s green thumb. When she was 4, for instance, I planted (successfully I might add) a long and prolific row of spicy peppers in our backyard garden. About that same time, we were hosting a childcare group of 2-year-olds in our living room for our younger son and 7 of his contemporaries. One of them, Maya, was precocious and curious, always poking into everything. I had warned her to keep her hands off my habanero plants, but to no avail. I can still remember the slightly malevolent smile that crossed my face as I heard her scream as she touched her face after touching one of my peppers. OK, it’s not the prettiest side of my character. I thought she had it coming. But boy do I digress.

My daughter probably gets her green thumb from her mom’s side of the family, with her mom growing an amazing variety of things on her rooftop flat overlooking the Sea. But I’m less interested in examining the roots of my daughter’s green thumbness and more interested in celebrating the intersection of birth, growth, cross-pollination, nurturing, creative expression, aesthetic beauty, exuberant tastes and smells: some of the many horticultural words that capture bits and pieces of my daughter’s rich Being.

I am pasta to your tomato sauce sweetheart, far better for your presence in my life. Happy birthday peetz.