In Canada, we are fortunate enough to experience all four seasons in a year: Spring, summer, fall and winter. And because the weather and temperatures change from day to day, it allows our farmers to grow a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains. These items are necessary for our bodies to grow and to stay healthy.
However, there are some foods we just cannot simply grow in Canada. For instance, pineapples, mangos, bananas and coconuts are just a few fruits we cannot grow in our country. Now, some people may have tried growing these items in a pot in their home, but we simply do not have the right climate for these tropical fruits to thrive.
Let’s take pineapples, for example. In their natural habitat, the plant grows best in warmer temperatures, between 20 and 30° C, with lots of bright light. They prefer locations that receive a good amount of rain in a year but not too much where their roots can drown. It can take up to three years, or sometimes even more, before any fruit is available.
Although pineapple is not a fan favourite for everyone, many people enjoy the sweet, juicy fruit. With a longer growing season and the added time of shipping the fruit from a tropical country, it is not readily available to Canadians year-round, yet it remains a popular summer treat. When the spiky delicacy makes its way back onto store shelves, we are eager and excited to crack into it.
So, why am I going on about pineapples? Well, much like the spiky fruit, there are people we know in our lives and communities who also need the right conditions to grow. They need the right climate, sunlight, water, etc., to grow into an amazing thing. For those who garden or know people who do, many of them start their plants early. They put the seeds in a little soil, keep them moist and put them under some intense lighting that radiates heat. The gardeners create the perfect growing conditions for the seeds to sprout, giving them a great head start in life, and when the time is right, they are sent out into the garden. While many gardeners still tend to their plants, picking out the weeds, providing them water and covering them when the threat of frost is near, the plants still have the job of continuing to grow on their own.
How many of you know of a plant that grows well in the dark? Without water? They don’t grow very well, do they? Now, think of someone you know who is or was bullied. Many people who are on the receiving end of bullying go into a depression (darkness). When they enter that depressive state, oftentimes, other parts of their life are neglected, such as interacting with others (sunlight) and eating or drinking properly (water). Instead of growing, they end up withering and sometimes find it hard to recover from the trauma. This is why the Pink Shirt Day theme this year is Let Kindness Grow.
We can create ideal conditions for everyone to grow in just by showing some empathy and 小蓝视频 kind. All it takes is just one simple gesture, like giving someone a smile, it can let a bit of sunshine into a person’s life. If we all take a moment to do one kind thing a day, it will soon snowball into something unbelievable. We have seen these random acts of kindness at drive-throughs, where the car in front of you buys your coffee and doughnut at Tim Horton’s. With that one small gesture, you have instantly made the next person’s day.
We can continue the cultivation of kindness by watching what is 小蓝视频 said and by standing up for someone who may not have the strength to battle someone who is casting a darkness over them. So, if you or someone you know is struggling to find their perfect growing conditions, sometimes it takes some trial and error. Helping someone find the right growing conditions may take a little bit of time, but once it is found, it is amazing to watch them flourish.
