Member-only story
AGING
Love Is Fertilizer
The legacy of a jade plant and my Dad
Dad and I race up a hill. My first dog, Toughy, zooms ahead, floating through the tall grass. Views of the Pacific Ocean come and go through drifting fog banks. At the top of the hill, we rest, talking about my first job and how I could fit into his Chicago-based company.
Fresh out of college and 23 years old, the future is unwritten and exciting. Dad, in his ever-patient love, didn’t want to pressure me into the company. So I’m working on my own in the construction management industry to see how I like it. San Francisco is my new home. Toughy rips circles around us, his ass moving faster than his body, pure glee.
I laugh, “You know, Dad. Having Toughy has balanced my life. It’s not just about me anymore.”
Dad agrees and turns to a nearby plant, “Ryan, these are wild Jade plants.”
He breaks off a few stems, the diameter of my pinkie, and brings them home. His high-rise living doesn’t allow him to have a garden, but he propagates the small jade cuttings from our hike, transplanting them often, fostering their full potential, as he did with me.
When I talk to Dad, he always gives me the jade report. Large windows in his corner unit give them ample sun, and they grow quickly. With their…
