Little Jimmy was born in early 2024. I brought him home when he was just 2″ long and looking, quite frankly, fairly sick.
I nurtured him as best I could and soon enough, Jimmy, no longer little, covered the entire trellis I put up for him.
See, thing is, Little Jimmy is far from home. He is a purple bell vine, (or Rhodochiton atrosanguineus), and his native home is Mexico.
But Little Jimmy persevered.
He made do with my haphazard tending and the limited amount of sunlight available here – slightly more than halfway to the North Pole.
Last summer Little Jimmy bloomed, and although I made fun of his phallic-shaped flowers, he maintained his dignity throughout the season.
Alas, last winter in the PNW was a little harsh, and Little Jimmy took a lot of damage.
I thought he was dead.
I left his dead vines and shriveled leaves on the trellis as a warning to others (and myself) that might try to step out of their comfort zone.
But…Little Jimmy wasn’t dead after all.
Little Jimmy has once again flourished (albeit diminished) in spite of all the odds.
We could all learn some lessons from Jimmy La Campana Púrpura.
Tomorrow is not guaranteed to anyone. Do not put off to a more convenient time or place that which you can make happen today. NOW is always the best time to do something that you want to do.
Do not be afraid to live and breathe outside of your comfort zone. The best things in life are commonly found there.
Never give up. Nobody will ever remember the time you quit. It will be perseverance that makes life’s little miracles happen.
And, as always, Carpe Diem.
Never, ever be content with Superste Diem.