Our neighborhood community garden has a pumpkin patch full of ripe, multi-colored, multi-sized gourds.
I marvel at the variety of shapes in this garden yet each different fruit seems to occupy its own distinct place to make the garden a beautiful, restful place. There are small, white gourds with deep ridges lying next to large, deep-yellow colored pumpkins marked with misshaped forms. Long-necked gourds snuggle next to orange, perfectly round pumpkins that resemble artist-shaped displays. Surprisingly, this mismatched arrangement reveals a beautiful fall scene inviting a restful reflection.
This garden is like a group of people – each one is different yet if you remove just one person the group loses its uniqueness. I’ve learned that each person in a group has a unique function – there’s a leader, a follower, a secretary, a parliamentarian, a historian, an extrovert, an introvert and most importantly a janitor.
Everyone is important.
The historian may be irritated by the extroverts or the secretary might not like the leader, while the parliamentarian may question the motives of the historian but eventually, everyone will have to answer to the janitor. However, if anyone is taken out of the group the business assigned to this class of people can’t be accomplished. The members need to work together and everyone in the group is important – just like colorful gourds of the pumpkin patch.
Your spot in the pumpkin patch may be rocky and rough and dark orange and ugly looking or it may be sleek and round and bright yellow with perfectly shaped edges. Wherever your place is in the community garden it’s the perfect place for you.
