Posted on 11/18/24
I have passed the house with lush green grass many times. I was always amazed at how every blade of grass seemed accounted for. They were evenly cut, with not a weed in sight. The color was a mid-to-dark green, showcasing its health.
In November of 2024, I walked by once again. This time, the grass stood out even more. There had been a drought on the East Coast, and we had almost no rain. In the last two months, it had rained under two inches compared to the usual nine or so inches. Yet, the grass was lusher than ever. All the surrounding grass on neighboring properties was either weak, light green with “bald spots” or weed-filled brown patches. Somehow, that grass was perfect, as if nothing was going on, and it stood out for everyone to see. There were perfectly trimmed lines, and every blade of grass was a full, vibrant green.
I asked some of their neighbors about the secret, and they told me that each Sunday—and often during the week as well—the owners of the property tend to the grass. They do everything possible to make the grass perfect. What amazed me was that, during the drought, they had every excuse to blame the weather and could have easily taken the “easy route” by letting their grass turn brown like the rest of the block. It would have been simple to blame the circumstances or the lack of rain for the poor state of their grass. However, they doubled their efforts because, to them, maintaining the grass was most important.
Perhaps this is a point to ponder in so many areas of life. How often do we blame circumstances? How often do we say, “If only this…” or “If only that…” and then stop trying?
The lush grass taught me that morning that, despite the circumstances, anything is possible if we put in the hard work and daven for siyata dishmaya. May we all be zoche to that lush life we hope and daven for.
Rabbi Moshe Dov Heber is a middle school rebbi at Yeshiva K’tana of Waterbury, the director of the Mishmar Evening Program in Waterbury, and a division head at Camp Romimu. He is a frequent contributor to various publications on education and inspiration and is also a public speaker. Rabbi Heber can be reached via email at mdheber@ykwaterbury.org.