So Many Dishes

No, today’s post has nothing to do with food. Well, maybe a little, since the idea came to me as we were walking to the donut shop this morning. (Really, I only had coffee. Well, a nibble of Ken’s donut…)

At this time of year, South Florida is awash in lush, green foliage. The rainy season feels as if it will never end, and plants seem poised to overtake any structure in their path. But few plants are flowering. You might see a recalcitrant red blossom hanging on to a royal poinciana, or a bougainvillea with a few flowers, but most other colors have succumbed to the greenery.

And yet. I walk out our front door, and the sea grape clusters that haven’t been claimed by the birds are ripening in beautiful hues. On our walk, I smelled the tantalizing scent of the orange jasmine, even though there were only a few flowers on the bush. As we were returning home, I spotted the bright red blossoms of a mandevilla vine peaking over a hedge.

There’s beauty in all the shades of green, but the colors add so much life and depth to the landscape. And maybe that’s a good metaphor for diversity in all aspects of life.