By Susan Dubé
After just a few weeks of care, the garden has transformed into a true little miracle. It has become so magnificent that it seems to have always belonged there, as if it had grown naturally amidst the existing vegetation. To my eyes, it enhances the setting in an almost magical way, creating the impression of being in the heart of a tropical rainforest. As always, these big-hearted people share their harvest with neighbors from other nations, as well as with their own community. They do so with a sincere smile, humble pride, and a generosity that is deeply moving. Once again, this simple gesture—made without expectation and asking for nothing in return—touched me deeply. It reminded me just how beautiful, powerful, and deeply human the act of sharing can be. My thanks go to the Filipino people for their exemplary kindness.
Next door to us, some citizens saw promise where others might have seen only a waiting piece of land. A small mound of black soil, placed there temporarily before the construction of a new apartment complex, became in their hands a fertile space, almost a living poem.
Why let this forgotten patch lie dormant when it could welcome life? With a few scraps of wood, cut branches, rope, plants, and a great deal of imagination, they shaped a sloping garden of hope, simple and ingenious. In this gesture, there is more than creativity: there is tenderness for the earth, a quiet passion, and a magnificent lesson in resourcefulness. This simple act touches me deeply because it tells much more than a story about gardening. It speaks of memory, roots, patience, and dignity, even though today they work in Canada as heavy-duty mechanics, quality assurance technicians in factories, or in other skilled trades. Many of these immigrants carry within them the legacy of cultivated land. By making life grow in a forgotten place, they gently remind us that we can always recreate a home, sow beauty where no one expects it, and make hope bloom again with almost nothing—only with hands, courage, and heart.
Susan Dubé
Editor of The Maple Chronicles
