by Linda O’Connell

My life is filled with contradictions as a result of living
in suburbia, directly across the street from a five-acre truck farm.
The sounds of traffic begin before sunrise as honking
cars and trucks whiz down our busy four-lane street.

The distinct putt-putt of a slow chugging tractor drowns out frenzied
road sounds. Two bachelor brothers have farmed the land for decades,
producing prime tomatoes and vegetables. One rides a rusted relic,
the other sits astride a new John Deere, kings on their thrones
waving to passers-by.

The gentlemen farmers walking in a drizzle through muddy fields
wearing slickers and boots, bend down and lift the 4’x8’ wooden lid
off a sunken hot bed revealing their first crop. A lush spread
of purple, crimson, and yellow pansies nod in the mist.
Enthralled with the floral crazy quilt, I am transported back
to my eighth Easter when my Sunday School teacher placed
a potted pansy in my hands. She also planted the seeds
of scripture that took root and bloomed in my heart:
“Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.”

Linda O’Connell, a seasoned teacher and inspirational writer, has been published in over two hundred publications. She writes from the heart and listens for God’s messages everywhere: in the wind, at the seashore, outdoors in nature, and especially in the innocence of her three, young, great-grandsons. She believes God is with her in her darkest hours and on her brightest days… ALWAYS.