A Special Garden

My father used to plant a garden every year. He planted his garden until he was ninety-four years old. I remember rows and rows of tomato plants, chile peppers, corn, carrots, radishes, lettuce and squash. I thought he was the best gardener in the whole wide world! When I saw a friend's lush green garden today he reminded me of my Dad. My friend is known for the green chile he grows and when his wife or his daughters make green chile, it is one of the best I have tasted.


When I mentioned how good the chile tasted, he said, "It comes from a seed that has been in my family for years."

All the daughters, except one, have learned to prepare the chile like their mother makes it. In the past I have visited the family on a Sunday and for breakfast there is a feast of beans, rice, chile, tortillas, potatoes and eggs. This morning, because I had spent the night after a fun time celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary, there was a large pot of menudo! (Traditionally, when people party hearty the night before, the menudo is supposed to help with a hangover!)

I admired the garden and before long all the children had arrived with their spouses and their children. That was fourteen bodies without counting children. Soon more persons arrived and I stopped counting when I reached twenty-five people. I was told that "this is what we do on Sundays, everyone just shows up and we all pitch in to cook. Today we had most of the left overs from last night!" Outside, the area in front of the house had about nine cars parked in front. It looked like another party to me!

My thought was that my friends may have a green garden growing outdoors, but they also cultivated and helped their children grow up to be responsible, caring and loving adults. And that is also a special garden!