I have this weird habit that I picked up out of nowhere. Every time I get depressed I go to the nursery and buy a new plant. Four years ago, I went to buy a fig tree. An elderly man stopped me and advised that it’s not a good idea. He said that he tried buying many fig trees and planted them, yet none bore fruit, let alone survive. He said that Texas is just not the right environment for them.

As stubborn as I usually am, I didn’t listen to his advice. I don’t know if it’s dumb or smart to ignore what those who have experience to say just because I haven’t tried the experience on my own. My family is used to my stubbornness, so much so, I’m used to hearing “خليها تتعلم من كيسها”. A Syrian proverb describing a stubborn person who won’t learn from others loss until they loose money from their own bag.

I planted the tree in April and there wasn’t much of progress except the already sprouted fruit growing. With my inexperience making it worse, I picked the fruit prior to them ripening. Basically even lost the chance of gaining benefit from what was already there to use.

Winter is approaching and I prepared the plant to survive it through buying rods and clear plastic bag to creat its own small greenhouse environment. The winter passed and it barely survived. Second winter came in and I just gave up on it because it didn’t even grow by the second summer that passed.

Third summer started and for some reason, the fig tree started growing on its own. Turns out, they grow best in dry environment with kittle to no watering. I still wasn’t having much hope with it. However, I still checked on it every now and then. I left it to the third winter with no preparations and had to leave town for a whole new year.

Fourth summer, to which is today, I came back. The tree grew on its own and is even taller than me. I looked around its branches for a sign of even the slightest of hope. I’m glad that I did. One small fruit was sprouting out of one of the new branches. Hidden, yet growing majestically.

I hope, that one day I have faith in myself just like how the fig tree had of its own.