#Story and photo by #FrankGCaruso #heirloomtomato plant #Memory provided by Green Haven Gardens
Tonight I was out in the backyard, gently watering the heirloom tomato plants and marveling at their vibrant green leaves and soon-to-be plump juicy tomatoes. As I reached out to touch one of the fruits, an unexpected surge of energy coursed through my body. The world around me began to spin, colors blurred, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself standing in the very same backyard where I grew up standing over tomato plants, but something was different. I looked down at my feet and saw that I was no longer the 63-year-old man Instead, I was now a young child of about 6 years old.
For a moment I was confused and disoriented, I stumbled around, trying to make sense of what had just happened. As I explored, I noticed everything around me appeared older— the garage had more chipped paint, the trees were taller, and the house I grew up in seemed weathered. It was then that I realized I had somehow been transported back in time more than 50 years.
The first thing I thought was to find my beautiful childhood friend Tommy Canfiield so we could play together one last time. I ran up to our home and through the door looking for my brothers and sisters, just wanting to tell them, I love them, I never told them back then. But I couldn’t find them and I ran to search for my parents.
My heart swelled with love and appreciation for my family, both in the past and the present. I cherish every moment spent with them, knowing that his time in the past was limited and so is the future. I began to feel a pull, a gentle tugging sensation as if the universe itself was guiding me back to my own time.
Once again I stood in front of the heirloom tomato plant. I gently touched one of its green tomatoes, and the same surge of energy enveloped me. This time, though, I smiled, tears of joy in my eyes. I knew that I had to say goodbye to the past and return to the present time.
With a grateful heart and a treasure trove of memories, I bid farewell to my family in the past. As the colors blurred and the world spun once more, I found myself back in my yard standing in front of the heirloom tomato plant, just before my extraordinary journey.
A reminder of the importance of cherishing what is good in life, nurturing family bonds, and sowing seeds of love that transcend time itself.
