The possibility of what will be

“Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.”
Pope John XXIII

This is a picture taken of my little kumquat tree, now in full bloom. It is just now putting out some fresh blooms—hopefully meaning I may have more than the single kumquat from last season. I have two fruit trees, I keep in large planters as they are not hardy in our region during our winters, forcing me to have to roll them in and out of safety throughout the winter months as they do not tolerate freezing temps very well. They relish being outside in the late spring through early fall but once the threat of a hard freeze in eminent, I struggle getting the planters up on small dollies, keeping them on the dollies all winter, allowing me to push and pull them to the garage as needed.

One plant is the kumquat, pictured, the other is a most sad looking Meyer lemon tree. Two years ago, when I bought them from a local nursery, they each produced a good bit of fruit. I was so proud of my lemons– and the kumquats went towards a secret family recipe for a cranberry kumquat relish (the recipe actually calls for calamondins but those are not found anywhere near me, so I’ve substituted the kumquats as they are found in the grocery stores)—the relish is made and served all through the holidays much to my husband’s joy.

Last year, sadly, was a different story and I’m certain it has to do with the whole pollenating thing of having just the single tree plus the stress and strain of rolling around all winter. The lemon tree produced no lemons–each tiny new lemon would simply whiter, dying and falling off the tree. Then a late spring freeze did a number on its new growth. I’ve had to cut it back so that it resembles more of a stick poking out of a pot then a beautiful tree. The kumquat tree produced just 3 kumquats, forcing me to head to the grocery by the time the holiday season rolled around in order to buy enough for the recipe.

I do baby them as best I know how, cheering and rooting them on to bloom–hopefully giving way to their beautiful fruits. Each tree currently is blooming and keeping the bees busy. The Meyer lemon tree actually has several small lemons, about 10, but whether they will grow and flourish is yet to be seen—but I am always hopeful.

These small trees have a mighty potential… just like us– as we all have a mighty potential. Unfortunately we often get caught up in our failings rather than our successes. We focus more on the negatives more so than we do on our positives. My husband wonders why I continue bothering with the trees–this when I’ve forgotten to roll them to safety around the 10:00 PM news, when I just hear of the impending freeze, forcing me outside, usually donned in only pajamas..frantically pushing the trees to safety. How many times they’ve tipped over from the dollies, pots cracking, me scooping up tree and dirt, wrapping in duct tape until I can properly repair my damage……

But continue I do because I know what is possible… not only from the trees, but from myself as well. Not that I expect to be a master fruit tree producer, but because I know I can care for two trees which can in turn offer us something wonderfully rewarding. It’s just a matter of seeing the possibilities and believing I can get it right…eventually.

That’s why I like today’s quote so much—there are always hopes and dreams…there is always unfulfilled potential. There is never a reason to quit and give up, not as long as there is still energy and a will….I never give up hope—that’s not to say I’ve never been depressed or felt defeated…but as is usually the case, I regroup my strengths and energies–always giving it another go, another chance, another fight….pushing forward till I get it right…

Here is to unleashing the possibilities within us all…………