Ding L.
5/5
I only meant to pass sweet potato leaves to TW.
Nothing more. A quick handover. Then go.
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I didn’t expect to be asked to stay.
Didn’t expect a warm plate of vegan fried rice. Or hot coffee poured with quiet care.
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A few days ago, I tossed out the sweet potato vines while planting okra.
They were tangled, spent, forgotten.
Then TW mentioned the empty patches of earth around the center.
So I thought—maybe these vines deserve another chance.
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I brought them over.
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I had no plan. No donation. Just scraps from my garden meant for the bin.
But the team welcomed me like I was one of their own.
They didn’t ask for anything. Just made room—for me, for the vines, for a small moment of shared purpose.
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We walked the empty space, looking for soil.
None of us are farmers. We didn’t know what we were doing.
Still, we planted.
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These vines, once bound for the fire, now have a chance to root.
Maybe they’ll thrive. Maybe not. But they’ve been given a choice.
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To the social worker who served me lunch and warmth—thank you.
You offered more than food. You gave me a place to belong, if only for a while.
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What else have I nearly discarded that still carries life?
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And to you—
When was the last time you planted something without expecting it to grow?
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If you’re searching for meaning, or just someone to talk to, come by this center.
Help cook. Teach. Share your time.
Sometimes, even what we thought was nothing can turn into something.
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JSE@20250420
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我本来只是打算把地瓜叶拿去给TW，
只是顺手交给她，没打算久留。
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没想到她请我坐下，
也没想到，会端来一盘热腾腾的素炒饭，
还有一杯用心冲泡的热咖啡。
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几天前，我在种秋葵的时候，把地瓜藤全丢了。
缠成一团，枯了、乱了，被我遗忘。
后来TW提起中心旁那片光秃秃的地，
我才想起——也许这些藤还有机会。
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于是我带了些过来。
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没有计划，没有捐献，
只是从自家园子里救下的一堆“废物”。
但他们接待我，就像接待自己人一样。
没有问我能给什么，
只是默默腾出空间——给我、给藤，也给那短短几分钟的陪伴。
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我们一起走过那片空地，找找还能种的土壤。
没有人是农夫，大家都不太懂怎么种。
但我们还是动手了。
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那些本该被扔进火堆的藤，现在有机会扎根了。
也许它们能活，也许不行。
但它们被给予了一个选择的机会。
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谢谢为我盛饭、倒咖啡的义工们。
你给的不只是食物，
更是一种归属感——哪怕只有片刻。
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我不禁问自己：
还有多少“我以为没用了”的东西，其实还藏着生命力？
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也想问你：
你上一次，种下某样东西而不求结果，是在什么时候？
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如果你正在寻找意义，
或只是想找个人聊聊，
来这间中心坐坐吧。
帮忙煮饭、教教东西、陪陪他们。
有时候，
那些我们以为“只是随手”的小事，
也能开出意想不到的花。
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JSE@20250420
