Lin and her plants

Every day I see her from my kitchen window performing the same actions. She sits in the middle of plants’ pots and watches them indefinitely; then she closes her eyes and with her hands, she seems to draw circles suspended in the air.

Her name is Lin, a lady with long black hair, almond-shaped eyes, and very pale skin. I believe she comes from China. Lin is my new neighbor.

“Hello Lin, how are you? I’m dying of curiosity to know what you do to your plants. Forgive me but, I couldn’t help but notice those particular gestures and follow the long silences.”

“Good morning to you! These plants are all that I have precious, they are called Kumquats and you will probably know them as ‘Chinese mandarins’. I started growing them as a child and when I came to Italy, I took them with me knowing that they could have died. But as you see… they are lush and green beyond all hope.”

“They are beautiful plants! What‘s the secret?”

“As with all things destined to grow, there are no secrets, but a lot of care, dedication, and love. Every single leaf has value and gives me back the fruit of the time I have dedicated to it. The signs I draw in the air have nothing to do with my kumquats… they are just an expression of gratitude for the privilege of being able to deal with them.”

I had believed that behind those gestures there was a secret…

I had taken the beauty of those plants for granted…

I had stopped believing in the importance of taking care of what you love…

And now a sprout has just sprouted in my heart.

“Thanks Lin! I’m sure your tangerines will be very good.”

Lin takes a sprig and she hands it out to me.

“This is for you! We have to start from somewhere.”