The tradition at my alma mater is to create a banner at graduation. There is usually a quote matched with a picture. Since my mother's class had been embroiled in WWII they chose a white dove and a promise of hope. 

"Grant us peace."

Our class picked "By their fruits you shall know them." Curled around the letters was a grapevine. 

We had the unheard of notion to sew it ourselves rather than hire out the job. We even made sure every member of the class sewed at least one stitch. Some of the football players were reluctant but with five girls begging you to poke a needle through blue velvet how can you say no?

My memory of what the passage meant to me at seventeen is sparse. Something about ripe apples. Or mangoes. 

But at the upper edge of my fifties it rings true. In every marriage group we invite people to brag about their spouse and the responses inevitably feature fruitful behaviors. 

"He listened to me last night when I was upset."

"She hosted my family with a smile. "

"He took our son to the ER."

A friend pointed out that a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. He was talking about the orchard of resentment, or anger. To expect blessings to bloom from a negative emotion is futile. 

I remember with regret the years of parenting in which I operated under the false assumption that getting mad at my kids would inspire them to be nice. 

Alas I cannot go back in time to erase the yelling. But today I can choose to be kind.