Pass the tomato please

Years ago I lived in Baltimore. In the area I lived there were many older row homes which had windows lined with window boxes for plants. When I asked an elderly neighbor why so many homes had them, her answer was ‘Victory Gardens’. For those of you who haven’t heard the story of this, during WWII people were encouraged to grow their own food. Thus saving vital resources for the war effort. In cities this wasn’t the easiest thing to do, hence the window boxes. Of course, at the time I lived there, most were no longer in use. Fast forward to now, the global pandemic taking over everything era. Some areas of the country have food shortages and so many people are at home bored. Some are calling it the 'new normal'. I'm calling it a blip that will pass eventually. About a month ago, one of my local grocery stores was giving away lettuce seeds and tomato plants if you purchased a certain amount. I scored a pack of seeds and a plant. As you can see from the photo, the results so far are great. I’m loving the fresh lettuce each night with dinner. And can’t wait for a tomato or two. This year has been a year like no other in my lifetime, for more than one reason. But getting back to basics is so grounding. This isn’t the first time I’ve had a garden and I doubt it will be the last. But it’s been a few years since I’ve dug into the soil to put down roots in the hopes I’ll grow my supper. Now more than ever, I think this is what we all need – a simple act of connection with the very basic necessities for life. Air, water, food, love. Because I'm afraid most of us have forgotten what is most important or maybe someone of us never knew it in the first place.