Based on  a true story

A tale of courage and determination

Once a upon a time in a land far far away lived a very poorly fig tree.

It had once flourished in a magical garden surrounded by abundant greenery. There were swaying scented flowers, sumptuous leafy trees, busy rummaging birds, tiny crawling insects and ornamental fairies to keep it company.  The sun always shone in this garden and there was harmony and joy with a great sense of belonging.

Sadly as the years past everything changed.  The garden had been forgotten.  It grew wild and untamed,  withering away, dying of neglect.  The fig tree also began to waste away.  It struggled in months of continuous rain, that flooded its roots and months of sunshine that withered all its goodness .  But because the fig tree wanted to live it cleverly pushed out its roots from its tiny container, reaching through into a much larger container.  At least this way there would be a chance for growth.   And there it remained, forgotten,  but still fighting and surviving.

……………………………………………..       It seemed that life was slipping away.

Then one day the fig tree heard  the laughter of children.  Barely able to move the fig tree stretched its tiny thin stem to see a wonderful sight.  Life was beginning to return to the garden. The fig tree felt crisp cold water run down into its decaying roots.  Bathing in this incredible feeling of release, a great surge of hopefulness seemed to travel to every part of the plant.  ‘I am going to be alright’, it whispered.

It would not be an easy transformation; there were still obstacles to overcome.  The fig tree would be moved around to other areas of the land.  Sometimes it was able to make new friends and be well looked after.  But sometimes loneliness and neglect would once more descend.  But still the fig tree kept fighting, kept believing it would one day find a place to thrive.

Like all good stories there was a happy ending.   The fig tree was taken on a long journey.  A little frightened, of the unknown,  it gathered all courage and strength.   The fig tree looked upon a great wonder,  a new garden appeared.  A garden that was filled with kindness and care. A garden that was brimming with food and water, much like the fig tree had once known.

The fig tree knew it had finally found the right place to settle its tired roots.  Its hopes and dreams had become a reality.

‘I have a home now’, it said, ‘love and understanding and I will be able to grow and flourish’.

The moral of this story is ….

Never give up, always believe that life will look after you and in time will find you the perfect garden to grow in.