Wednesday, April 27, 2011

And a side note... perhaps it's not quite as thrilling as the rest, but there's a personal side for me in this journey. I recently found out that Florence, one of the key members and founders of Green Grounds, has developed a cancer. Yet she still putts around with a smile from ear to ear and shows up to every Dig-in with as much energy as ever. In that, I'm reminded of my own mother, who was an avid gardener and was diagnosed with brain cancer back in 2007. I see two very similar ladies and stories here, though I do hope Florence's journey does not end as my mother's did. And though the note strikes with a tone of sadness for me, it also brings back some fond memories. It was always a wonder to me how my mother, who underwent more than several rounds of chemo and radiation, still found it in her to go out into her garden almost everyday to take care of her flowers and herbs and trees. Florence, too, has already undergone some treatment for her own case and is still out and about and gardening as ever. It's an interesting juxtaposition, the idea of growing and cultivating life while facing the odds of battling sickness. I am not sure if Florence's sickness is terminal as my mother's was. But for me it is still a reminder of that time. And now, it makes the process of this film even more incredible and worth exploring further. Surely this kind of thing must be worth something for these ladies, even in times of sickness, to be so excited about it.

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