The vine was perhaps six feet long before I even noticed it. One could argue that I am not very observant, and yet it is Benjamin who takes out the garbage, and my days of spending hours in the yard caring for chickens are long gone. The squash plant grew not from my careful efforts, like the lettuce by the road, but on a dare. The rotting tomatoes in the compost bin challenged the butternut squash seeds to a race. The squash won. 

When we hired a young entrepreneur to mow he carefully avoided the plant, which has grown to an impressive length of fifteen feet. The green leaves are protective of the vegetables, so it took some hunting to discover eight hefty squashes, still the color of the moon rather than the sun, doing their best to ripen. 

I find it amazing. There is an abundance of such vegetables at the grocery store ready for customers. More than likely my CSA will offer them in the fall. But these ones are special. They are bounty, even more so than the ones I trade for money. Their arrival is undeserved.

Recently a friend sent me a thank you note with a gift card inside. The place of redemption is my favorite fabric store, and it will be a spree to spend it. There have been days when I have racked up a hefty bill there on my own, but this time it will be different. The quilt I make with that purchase will be exceptional from its origin. 

Perhaps one of the attributes that shows up early in relationships, is that the receiver has not yet glossed over the fact that this is undeserved. When you first hold your baby in your arms, it is incredible. No one has ever handed you this child before, and the magnitude of that miracle is not hidden by the protective leaves of forgetfulness. When you are first chosen by your spouse, presumably from a large crowd of potential partners, it comes with a dose of surprise at your own good fortune. 

Me? Really?

It is when I am able to push aside the assumptions, and rediscover the true bounty of these people who are mine to love, that life ripens from silver to gold.