I was so disappointed a couple of months ago when I realized beneath that huge blanket of snow on our deck was my pot of chives. I forgot to bring the pot into the garage last fall and the cold Midwest winter temps not only cracked the pot, but shattered a good portion of it. (I'm still baffled I can keep three children alive, but don't have such a great rap with plants, but I digress.) I was bummed since the pot was really cute, and bummed because I LOVE fresh chives on eggs and potatoes, and I enjoyed stepping out my kitchen door to grab some anytime I wanted. This little plant had served me well.
But then I noticed this resilient little plant had survived. New growth appeared above the dirt! Not all was lost! Upon closer inspection I realized this plant was actually root-bound. Those roots were running circles round and round the bottom of that pot. I marveled at it's resiliency and the metaphor it illustrated.
We can maintain and things look fine from the outside. But sometimes the things around us have to break, fall apart to realize we've really been running circles round and round on the inside. We have the capability and potential for something bigger, something more. So I will happily transplant this plant to a larger pot, and though it may be a little stressed at first, in the long run it will most likely grow larger, will need water less often since its surrounding support can hold more, and maybe it will grow large enough I can share with our neighbors.