ROUGH LEMONS

ROUGH LEMONS

Big, ugly with lumps and bumps, a thick rind with surprisingly little acid. Many people like to eat the peal. The small fruit under all that peal is beyond sour. Tart doesn't even belong in the same sentence. The juice pressed from these rough lemons is mixed with wild honey and jalapeño slices. That makes the world's best spicy, sweet and sour glaze for grilled fish or chicken.

I think about the Spanish explorers who brought these ugly wonders with them.

Rough lemons and sour oranges were commonly found on sailing ships, the vitamin C fighting off scurvy. Who was the first person who was brave enough to try and eat this ugly fruit? Their trees growing up and out , through the canopy of oak hammocks that protect them from the cold. Old trees bearing fruit forty or more feet above the ground. Straining to reach the sunlight.

ROUGH PEOPLE

Ugly behavior that has left us with big lumps and bumps. Thick skinned from daily disrespectful treatment. Surprisingly little acerbic reactions escape our control. The fruit we have produced in the past leave people beyond sour. Tart doesn't even belong in the sentences some have been given. When hard pressed we gloss over our sour past. Fishing for the words that make us sound better when you grill us. We're often chicken to be open and honest.

I think about programs like E4C , that explore the uncharted emotions of people with ugly past. Overall emotional health improves as we take the See vitamin.

Kathie was the first person who was brave enough to try and reach out to us as if she SEEs us, instead of our ugly past? Helping us to grow up and out, through the shadows that keep us from the sunlight. Her effort and efforts of people like Maria helps us to bear good fruit, held high and on display. Thank you for this platform.