My essay “Growing an Avocado Tree from Seed” was published in the winter 2022 issue of Persimmon Tree this morning. This essay came about in such an organic way, as I looked for things to occupy my time in the early days of the pandemic. Like everyone, I was sad and depressed and worried about my loved ones. The future seemed uncertain, and I began to look to the past. I decided to grow an avocado tree, like I’d seen my mother do many times. The experience began to trigger so many plant-related memories. I started writing them down, and this essay was the result.

I’ve been working on the essay since August 2020. Much has changed since then, and yet much is still the same. It’s lovely to see the essay in print in a journal I admire. It sparks a bit of hope for the future in me, and I hope it does for you, too.