THE PAPAYA SEED

One of the exciting things about retirement is finding a sunny spot to spend the winter. Phoenix, Arizona beckoned. A friend who lives there invited us to attend her Presbyterian church. The Sunday School teacher of the adult class, Dr. Gladys McGarey, is a medical doctor who is the lead physician at a holistic clinic. I was always amazed to notice that the attendees often felt free to ask questions after class about general health tips. She also writes a column for the magazine, "Venture Inward."

Her analogies always seemed to clarify things so beautifully. For example, in one of her columns she tells about planting a papaya seed in a small pot in her garden and when it became root bound transplanted it into the ground to grow into a tall papaya tree, producing fruit and seed to perpetuate the life of the papaya plant and enjoy its healthy fruits. She likens it to our lives, we start out with a protected space in which to grow and be cared for. Then the time comes to reach beyond these boundaries, stretch our roots farther and become useful citizens.

She used the example of Sidney Poitier in his film "To Sir, with Love No. 2" who encounters fighting and general chaos in the school and has to break up the fights in order to get any attention at all. When he asks the question, "Who are you? they responded with cocky answers. It took time but finally the students began to see themselves as they really were, different from the image they had portrayed to others. They had thought of themselves as losers, and rebelling was the only way out. They began to realize they really liked themselves and by the time they graduated, they were changed - from losers to people who could contribute to society.

The world changed with the bombing of the twin towers and we too are asking the question "Who are we" and "Why do people hate us as Americans?
Hatred is anger gone blind and we all must find a motivating unifying force and change will come. What can I as an individual do to help my country and the world?" Just like the papaya plant, we've come to a point where we need to be taken out of the restraining confines of the pot to expand our roots, and create a loving, caring world around us to grow into the reality of who we are and produce the fruit that comes from full, expanded, growth and living." Thank you Dr. McGarey for your words of wisdom.