Will I EVER Eat a Tomato?

 

One of my favorite children's series of books and DVDs is Charlie and Lola. I think Lola is hilarious and I love the way the brother and sister get along so well. Recently, though, we had a Charlie and Lola book from the library called "I Will Not Ever NEVER Eat a Tomato," and I think it might be one of those eerie situations where the book is starting to come true in my life.

Let me explain.

A few months ago (actually back in MARCH, I found, when I went through my pictures), Jason and I decided to plant some tomatoes with our kids. The idea was actually mine, inspired by a crop of tiny plants I'd seen my mom and dad starting at their house.

We gathered seeds, soil, and pots, and planned a Family Home Evening lesson around the New Testament scripture "whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." I taught my children that if we plant tomatoes, we get tomatoes, just as if we "plant" kindness we get good things or if we "plant" anger, unkindness, etc., we get bad things back. We even had them memorize the verse.

 

Sounds good, right?

Well, our plants grew nicely during the next little while. We watered them, kept them close to our sunniest window, gave them Miracle Grow, etc. They looked great, and we were pretty proud of the leaves that were popping out and the stems that were starting to thicken.

Pretty soon we had some warmer, sunnier weather, and we decided it was time to put our tomato plants outside.

Then is started to pour with rain. Our plants got pelted with water to the point where not one of them was standing.

Not wanting to give up, we propped them up with sticks and covered them with a tarp. Still, I felt that our chances of actually getting any tomatoes were slim.

I started to worry about that FHE lesson, too. We planted tomatoes, but we were not going to get any. What conclusions would my children form? (Fortunately in this case, though, I don't think my kids retained much of that lesson . . . although they can still quote the scripture.)

Then the sun came out, the plants started to grow, and flower, and show signs of tomatoes. They were tiny and green, but one day I counted 10 tomatoes!

Every day as I watered the plants I was amazed to see more tomatoes had developed. Instead of counting 10, I could see at least 10 on most plants. We were going to have tomatoes after all!

But summer is over now, and still, all we have are green tomatoes. My mom suggested picking any that are even the slightest bit red and letting them ripen in a paper bag, and we are trying that. But it is so sad to know that most of those amazing little tomatoes are never going to have a chance to grow and ripen.

And, like Lola, I might never get to eat a tomato . . . at least not one of our own.

 

(Well, okay, probably that ONE!)