7:23 a.m. on August 15, 2023.

This photo captures the exact moment I was ready to quit.

I was tired.

Tired of the heat & humidity. Tired of being in sweat-drenched clothes. Tired of the aggressive grass. Tired of the bugs. Just tired!

I was questioning all of my life choices. Wondering why I’m farming when I could be working in an air conditioned office or hospital; actually making money. Remembering the recruiting emails that flood my inbox & how easy it would be to get a job as a physician again.

Then I looked over & saw this single, 2 foot tall zinnia defying the odds & apocalyptic heat… and BLOOMING. This zinnia’s resilience reminded me that I would survive the heat that day. I’ll survive this summer. It won’t always be this hot & it’ll soon be easier to remember that I love this work & am exactly where I’m supposed to be.

This cycle of heat-induced misery, then restored hope has occurred at least weekly for the last 2 months. Every grower I know reports the same experience. There’s a reason most south Florida farms are closed in the summer. When temperatures are nearly incompatible with life, the work becomes more mental than physical (though the heat/humidity presents its own dangers). Thankfully, I’m a bit of a masochist & am tough to break.

The moral of the story? It’s going to be fine.

“All is well,” as Grandma would say.

🖤Kisha