Article June 16, 1980 Issue

For the convenience of some readers we will occasionally print an article in large type.

What kind of "gardener" are you?

JOAN P. STOTLER

I really love flowers, but I must admit that when it comes to weeding, I have many times done barely enough to get by. Not long ago, though, a weed taught me something.

The garden had been neglected far too long, but there had been a lot of rain, so it happened to be an ideal time for weeding. I hadn't been on the job long, when I came across an ordinary weed, about two inches in diameter. To my amazement, my gentle pulling action brought up a root measuring every bit of sixteen inches! On the surface it had looked so modest! The only way a weed can flourish is by keeping its root. Get rid of the root and the plant hasn't a chance.

So it is with the problems, large and small, we face in daily life. We might mistake these for what they appear to be on the surface: injustice, fear, disease, unemployment, or a lack of money. But taking a closer look, we may find the real root of the difficulty to be something entirely different: resentment, envy, dishonesty, even hatred. These feelings, if not stifled in the first place, need at least to be cut short in their development.

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