Rust Disease

As promised, here's my second installment for you.

Rust Disease

It's ironic that at exactly the same time this virus began, my raspberry plot seemed to be overtaken by something called 'rust disease'.   As I've been focusing on defeating this highly contagious disease, I've been thinking about some parallels, as I often do when I'm gardening.   Firstly, the plot looked healthy and was bearing fruit, functioning well when this disease was unknowingly spreading on the underside of the leaves.  The outer appearance looked fine until the rust disease eventually began to make itself known turning the leaves yellow and the fruit speckled with an orange powder. The only solution is to pick off every infected leaf, burn them or remove the entire plant if its been totally overrun.   When Covid19 erupted, so much of our world and its habits seemed to be spinning out of control.  Scientists have been sending out warnings that if we didn't address our selfish ways urgently then our planet's future would be impossible to turn around. Making money and building economies have taken precedence over having a healthy planet for all of us to live on.  Its amazing how a virus could force us to stop like nothing else.   Lakes and rivers are being given a rest, our skies are quiet and the oil industry is having to slow down.  Even the alarming issue of wildlife markets is finally under the hammer.   The worldwide church seems to be waking up to praying more than before.  Families are slowing down and having much needed downtime with each other.  

Have we been given this unique opportunity to reassess our rushed, distracted, 'confetti' juggling lives and remember what matters most?  I'm not underestimating the stress this has created for so many who have lost their jobs and are facing various uncertainties etc.  I'm trying my hardest to remember the good that may come and is coming out of this time of waiting.  My plot looks sad and vulnerable right now after losing 80% of its leaves but it now has a chance to breathe and the regrowth has been springing up remarkably quickly after many back breaking hours of tending its well being.  I'm hoping that as we stand together in the communities we're in and help as many as we possibly can through this crisis, that we will come out of this with new regrowth, better fruit and a world that is changed for the better.