Lemons and Life

I don't know if the observation of simple things like fresh lemons from a backyard tree can heal the soul in the way that the intricate rituals of religion can, but today I am choosing to believe it can.

Then again, "simple" may be a mischaracterization of a few backyard lemons.

The lemon itself has a history at least as old as our modern day religions. Small things I take for granted are actually the result of a series of processes taking place over thousands of years. Hardly wild at all, generations of humans planted, grafted, hybridized and cultivated the lemon since its grandaddy the citron was first discovered in either India or Southeast Asia, before recorded history.

Self-pity and catastrophizing come naturally to me, but thinking about the beauty and tenacity of the humble lemon is taking my mind off my woes today.