Mistakes can’t stop your growth. Clip. Clip…Clip. Clip. Cutting here and sawing there, I attempted to prune my orange tree. I intended to do right by my orange tree but by the time I finished pruning I discovered I had made at least two mistakes. First, I did not clean the shears and the saw before cutting. Second, I cut the branches off too close to the trunk.

These mistakes costed us a few years worth of delicious oranges; but the mistake did not stop the tree’s growth or mine. Since that time the tree has grown more oranges and I’ve planted and grown more fruit, vegetables, and herbs. 

As I reflect on my school year, I’ve made many mistakes. I did not meet some of my major goals. But, because of faith, some skill, and months of labor, I’ve grown and people around me have grown too. Our mistakes can’t stop our growth.