Prayers from Plants

My sister in law is an English teacher in a middle school.

Last Saturday, my wife and I were told she was suffering eye pain seriously and almost could see nothing.

We were shocked and hurried to the hospital to see her who was forcing herself to bear the fierce pain in eyes. She had to accept a small puncturing operation as she had got acute glaucoma (急性青光眼), much worse than the chronic kind, otherwise, she would be totally blind.

Half an hour past, she went through the operation at the right eye and her pain was immediate moderated.  Then trouble came as she looked over worried at her healing. She had a daughter in high school and an old mother with an unhealthy stomach. She raised her special family. She could not lose her sight.

I acted as a driver to help on logistics and meal distributor. I found so many kinds of flowers and fruits  were planted in flowerpot at two balconies of her apartment. I counted all and found there were 120 flowerpots, there are strawberries, mulberry, chili, orchid etc. I admired her for her great passion to life.

Before I sent supper to hospital, I sprinkled waters on all flowerpots and beg these plants to pray for recovery for their master.

After supper in hospital, I started to have a short conversation with her. I really had my English Golden Book of Carnegie in my pocket.  

“My sister, I guess you must be eager to recover, right?”

“Sure. My students, my older mother, my daughter, I need to take care of them.”

“Yes. I understand. So you are stressful because you think you might not heal. It is really terrible for you, right?”

“Yes. I scared to death.” She looked so upset.

“Ok. So you know you have to face the current challenge. I ask you a question:  can you tell me how many flowerpots you have in your balcony?”

All people around her looked at me. She said: “I do not know. Maybe 80”

“Exactly, it is 120. I ate mulberry and strawberry when I spray water on them. I have to say you are so active in your life. It is another moment for you to show your great passion. You must be in good shape for yourself and for others related to you, right?”

“Yes. I am so sorry to overwork my mother who stood pain in stomach to take care of me.” She was touched with tears out.

“I am sorry to make you excited. Please calm down as this is very important. You should not let your eyes wet as is the instruction from the doctor.” I said, “I have something to share. Would you like to know?”

“Yes. You are right. Please.”

“I am in training of Dale Carnegie. One of the courses is related to stress management. I will not talk about my stress management. I talk about you how to manage your stress. Ok?”

 “Ok. “

“Attitude towards stress: Know what the worst that can possibly happen, prepare to accept it, and then try to improve on the worst. For you, the worst may be very weak sight after operation. Even if it happened, your over-stress could not make things better, right? So what can make things better? It is your positive attitude and correct approach for recovery. So you need to make yourself happy with the current situation, and cooperate with doctor’s treatment. You can remind yourself you should not pay exorbitant price for worry in terms of your health.”

She nodded her head continuously. She felt peaceful than before although she still felt pain in eyes.

I continued to talk, “You know what triggered the sick?”

 My wife said to her sister: “Because you were not in good shape since being a child. So many toxic elements of medicine accumulated in your body to lead your previous illness. I ever reminded you not to glared at laptop monitoring in the middle night. I ever stopped you to engage in across- embroidery.  But you were so persistent to those…”

I stopped my wife. I said: “Do you agree, my sister? We do not want to blame you.  We just want you not to be injured by overloading your eyes. My wife is trying to explain the possible reason of your illness. But she is not a doctor, please also talk this with your doctor as this is also helping you out of over-worry.“

“Yes.  Agree. I felt peaceful now. I will talk to my doctor. I will cooperate with her to run the 2nd operation a week later. Thank you all.” She stretched out one of her hands so as to hold somebody’s hand.

I said, “I ever saw a book named World Unknown Mystery in your home. One talked about the mysterious force between plant and its master. If the master misses his/her plants, the plants will grow fast. “

“Yes, I also read the book. “ She said.

“On the contrary, if the plants miss its master, the master will be safe and health. “ I did not wait for her responds, and asked her: “Did you ever see the movie Avatar?”

“Yes, He died as he wanted to protect the forest, but finally alive as the whole forest gave him a mysterious and unnatural force to survive him.”

“Exact. Good. I would like to tell you that I sprinkled water on all your 120 flowerpots on behalf of you, and tell them to miss you.”

My sister in law almost cried and all people around her looked at me tenderly including the nurse.

I immediately stopped my sister and asked her not to wet her eyes, and said, “You will be good very soon. ”

 Her students came to see her. She was surrounded by our care.

Pray for recovery of her black eyes due to the colorful and wonderful world.

GOAWAYCOMEBACK COMMENTS:

With heart of angel, even plants will be moved to pray for its master!

With Dale Carnegie Principle as recipe, we can also cook chicken soup for the soul as the writer did.

A touching story and a moment to cherish!