One of the customs I have when I come to study at the Hartman Institute in Jerusalem is to buy a mint plant at the local nursery and put it out on my balcony.
I water it, it grows, and I occasionally have a sprig of fresh mint to put into a cup of tea.
When my father passed away two year ago, I had to leave Israel in a hurry to get back to California for the funeral. I changed my plane reservation, packed up my stuff, and said goodbye to my friends at Hartman. Just before leaving for the airport I realized I was about to abandon my little mint plant. Who would water it once I left?
I quickly brought it to one of the many gardens at the Hartman Institute and planted it next to a drip irrigation hose where I hoped it would get a little water and manage to stay alive.
The following summer when I returned again to Hartman, I found that my little mint plant had miraculously survived. It was about half the size, but there it was!
Another year has now come and gone since then and again I am back at Hartman. (FYI, this is my final 10-day session.) Time to check on my mint plant! This time it took a little bit of searching, but I eventually found it. It was very small.
Looking at my now tiny mint plant reminded me of what happens to the things that we love that we fail to nurture. They shrink. Of course, I’m not around to water and fertilize my little plant. She’s on her own here in Jerusalem. But what about those things in our lives that we have the power to nurture, yet neglect?
Friendships. Family. Finding time to do the things we love. Learning new things. Cultivating our interests. Do we give then the care and attention they need to both survive and thrive?
There is a saying in the Talmud - don't ask me where exactly - that states “if you abandon me for one day, I will abandon you for two.” While it is speaking about the Torah, I think it is also comes to remind us that there is a cost we pay if and when we neglect the things that are truly important in our lives.
So don't.
