Bitter Melons are Good

I used to hate eating bitter melon growing up. Yet my mom would love eating it. I would ask her why she loved it so much. She would say that it’s healthy and tasted great. I disagreed with her but I remembered that I wanted to be like her. I told myself then that I would conquer the bitter taste so that I too can enjoy it like she did. It was quite hard in the beginning. By the time I was halfway through college, I finally overcame the bitter taste. My roommates and I would make it so often that it was a staple in our meals. Eventually it became one of my favorite foods. This process turned into a rule of life I that live by to this day. If I give  bitter melon enough chances, I will eventually appreciate its goodness. This taught me that whatever hardships I may experience, I will eventually see the goodness that can comes out of it. When I think about it now, this mindset helped through some real challenges in life. For that, I am forever grateful for bitter melon. So, when I tend to my plot at the garden, I am reminded that goodness is growing in the midst of hardship and difficulties.