I would like to tell you a story
about a plant that could teach us about life…
However, many people consider it a weed. In my neighborhood, you can’t walk anywhere
without seeing it growing wild in people’s lawns and flower beds. In spite of the pejorative label, oxalis
has utility and beauty. A couple of
weekends ago, we needed to mow the wilderness of our back lawn, which had taken
off after the rain and warm weather. I decided to pick the flowers for a table
arrangement. From experience, I knew
some wild flowers don’t do well as cut flowers, so I wondered how long they’d last.
It was mid-afternoon when I gathered
the stems, and as I placed them in vases of cold water, I noticed the water
began to get cloudy. During dinner, I saw
the water was opaque. By sunset, most of
the flowers had curled up, as if to let us know it was bedtime. They looked like tiny golden flutes. When I sniffed them, there was no smell.
The next morning, their fragile
heads were still drooping when I opened the blinds. Later as the flowers began opening up, the
water seemed clearer. And this is what
piqued my curiosity: was the plant
releasing sugar or sap when it was going to sleep, and then reabsorbing it when
it needed energy? It occurred to me that
this little flower was responding to and following the sun, even when it was
cut and in a vase. It hadn’t forgotten
its need.
Here was a stark reminder to
me: to be present, to notice what is needed
and to respond to that need. Can we heed such a lesson from a weed?
Often when we’ve deemed something
to be unhelpful, a bother or irritating, we forget that it is valuable and
could teach us. Most people think of wood sorrel as useless. In fact, this plant is edible and has health
benefits. It is a thirst quencher,
diuretic, cooling to the system, and soothing to the stomach. It can be used in salads, soups, and when sautéed
with onions, chilies and garlic, makes a delicious tangy accompaniment (recipe below) to fried
fish. Its flowers make
simple stunning bouquets that incidentally lasted almost a week in the vase.
Our lives are so busy, we rarely
have time to pay attention to what’s happening in the moment. In the process, we overlook our needs that are
also subject to changing seasons, weather and circumstances. But we can use everyday things – flowers,
children, birds, animals, trees – as reminders that we also need nurturing. This way, we won’t have to expend so much
energy using our willpower to remember what we love and need to nurture
ourselves. We can make paying attention
a habit that puts us in touch with ourselves.
So the next time you look at a
weed in your garden, stop before you yank it out. And really look at it. Consider what this ‘insignificant’ plant may
be able to teach you about responding to life. And then consider your response:
to heed its lesson or dump it into the yard waste bin.
May you be awakened by the overlooked and ordinary.
Wood Sorrel (Sour) Chutney Recipe
4 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion chopped
½ tsp of mixed seeds (mustard, fenugreek, cumin)
1 green chili chopped (depending on how spicy you
like it)
2 cloves garlic chopped
Little salt
Big bunch of oxcalis greens (washed; large stems and flowers removed)
