The tree in front of our living room window suffered a lot in the past years – all these guys who work for the municipality got the wrong information and cut off the wrong branch, then a tractor plowed into it, and then it started flowering and shedding leaves at the same time.  I never thought it would live through the heat waves we’ve been having, the rainstorms, the manhandling, but today I suddenly noticed it has grown much taller, and almost reaches my window.  It is as if it knows I love it, and it wants to please me so much it will adapt to all the circumstances, all the punishments it’s been enduring.

Our window flowers and plants, however, are not doing as well.   I can almost hear them saying “I don’t have to take this abuse,” as they disappear overnight.  We were getting enormous quantities of cherry tomatoes for months, but now there is nothing left.  Peppers too.  And all the stuff we replanted from the garden at the entrance of our building rebelled as well.  Even though we kept the plants in the shade, the unusually hot desert winds and the changes from day to day don’t agree with them.

or maybe they are just echoing what is in my heart.