Chapter 253: Wrong spot

Strawberries grow in boxes in our driveway.

Other plants randomly appear in the boxes.

I say to Bruce and Kay: Its a beautiful day. Time for us to weed the strawberries. If you see a weed pull it out. Like this.

Kay: How do we know what is a weed?

I say: A weed is a plant in the wrong spot. A plant that we don’t want growing in these boxes. A weed takes all the space away from the strawberries. It eats all the food and drinks all the water meant for the strawberries.

Would you like someone to eat all your food, sleep in your bed? You would ask that person to go.

Bruce: My sister is a weed.

I say: Your sister is not a weed.   

Bruce: She lies in my bed. She eats my food.

I say: Your sister is not a weed.

Bruce: She’s different. She must be a weed. She looks different. Look at her hair.

I say:  We are not getting rid of your sister. Your sister may be different from you. She looks different. Her hair is longer but I love the differences. And I love those plants over there. See different colours. See how they blend and look better together. Its good to be different.

Kay is pushing aside leaves and says: Is that a weed?

I say: Well done. It is a weed. What do we do?

Kay: Pull it out.

We are winning. So are the strawberries. The losers are the plants in the wrong spot. They finish up in a pile in the driveway which is the right spot for them.