Bloom Where You Are Planted
By MARION RINALDI
My Dad ate at Subway very nearly every day for the last two or three years of his life. He greatly enjoyed his favorite sandwich, a cold Diet Coke, and a white chocolate macadamia nut cookie.
More than that, Daddy really enjoyed watching people come and go and visiting with those he knew. He became a real regular, and considered the staff dear friends; and they took such good care of him. Since his passing, I find myself wanting to go there more and more.
Every time I walk in the door, my eyes immediately go to the second to last booth going toward the back. In my mind, I can still see him sitting there with his Veggie Delight and his cane hooked over the back of his seat. It’s such a vivid memory.
Today, I went by to get lunch to take back to the studio. I said hello to Ms. Wanda, who was on her lunch break, and walked up to the counter where Ms. Bianca made a perfect six-inch-tuna-on-white. She asked where Ellie was, and we chatted while I paid and got my drink. I said goodbye to everyone, and headed out to the car.
When I got in, I had to stop and take a moment to be thankful for being home. Losing both parents in six months is enough to turn anyone’s world on its ear; but I have said time and again that I couldn’t have done it if I hadn’t been in Monticello- home.
I saw a car with a bumper sticker that said “Class of 2015.”
Watching it go by, I thought to myself, “I know where you are. You are standing on the edge of an uncharted ocean, ready to dive in head first. Do it. Dive in and swim with all you’ve got. Swim with the tide sometimes; and don’t be afraid to swim against it—you’re strong enough.
Swim away from this shore; I know you want to. You want to see what’s over there. Go find out. Be bold, be adventurous. Find out who you are and follow your heart—but don’t forget where home is, because your heart will always lead you back there.
You don’t understand it now; but you’re not supposed to. You want to be anywhere but here, and that’s fine; just remember that home is going to be here when you need it. Maybe you’ll come back on your own, or maybe something unexpected will bring you back. No matter where you go or what you do, please remember how special your home is. There are people that have watched you grow and will watch you find your place in the bigger world, and they will be proud of you. Moreover, when you need them, they will be there.
They will be at the bank, or at Subway. They will be at Circle K or the Silver Rabbit. They will be in line behind you at Ingles, or having coffee at the Vanilla Bean. They’ll be there with balloons when you bring home your new baby, and they will be right beside you at the funeral home when you have to say the hardest goodbye of your life. You don’t have to understand it now, but home is important. Go everywhere you can imagine, just keep home in your heart.”
My Mama used to say, “Bloom where you are planted.”
For a preacher’s family, it made a lot of sense because we got planted in a lot of places. For a preacher’s kid, sometimes it can seem impossible to get roots down anywhere. If you were fortunate enough to grow up in the same place throughout your childhood and teenage years, maybe you got it a long time before I did.
Still, if I could just say one thing to the young adults getting ready to go, it would be this—bloom where you are planted, but your roots grew in good dirt. Remember that, and find your way back when you need it.
