Nothing is Without Limits Except Love

It was brutally cold outside as Maggie made her way to the food bank. She tucked her head between her shrugged shoulders in order to help deflect some of the wind. However, even with her bulky puffer coat and turtle posture, it was still bone-chillingly cold.

She always dreaded Thursdays. The day she swallowed her pride and went to the food distribution center to get groceries for the week. Since caring for her mother with Alzheimer's, she had not worked. Money was always tight, having to live on her mom's tiny Social Security check, but they had always made ends meet. Nevertheless, since the pandemic and the increased cost of food and home essentials, there was no other way to get enough food but discard her pride and ask for help.

As she continued the miserable walk to the food pantry, she tripped on what seemed to be a pile of trash and fell. For a moment, Maggie laid there disgusted at her life, the cold, poverty, and the fall. She took a deep breath, gaining the strength to continue, and sat up and exhaled slowly. As Maggie went to stand up and she noticed what seemed to be a black wallet. That is odd, she thought. As she picked up the object, she noticed it was not a wallet but a small black book. What the...? She thought.

She stood up and brushed herself off, clasping the black book in her numb hands. She examined the book and opened it to look for a name or identification so she could return it. However, there were no markings on the book. She closed the book, placed it in her pocket, and continued to the food bank. As she stood in line, waiting for the small bag of canned goods that would feed her and her mother, she kept thinking about the book she had found. What was it? She thought. What was it doing on the street? she pondered.

Once home, she began to examine the book once again. She was genuinely intrigued as to what it was. Finding Nothing that had any explanation, she slammed the book closed and said aloud, "stupid book, I wish it was full of money!" The book became warm, and a bright light flashed from inside. Frightened, Maggie dropped the book! What the...? She gasped!

She bent over to retrieve the book and noticed something inside. She opened the cover and gasped loudly. Oh my God! She exclaimed! Thousands of dollars began to purge from the book. As she looked at all the money flowing from the notebook, she noticed a passage inscribed on the inside cover. "Nothing is without limits except love. Follow your heart as that is where true power is born."

She was speechless. Eventually, the money stopped appearing. Maggie was flabbergasted. She dropped to the couch and sat in awe. About that time, Maggie's mom walked into the living room. Momma had full-blown Alzheimer's and was incapable of a real conversation. However, Maggie remembered her from the many years before the disease stole her mother. Hey Momma! Maggie yelled. Hey Babe! Momma always replied. Whatcha got there? Asked Momma. I do not know, Momma. Answered Maggie. Momma suddenly spoke. "Nothing is without limits except love. Follow your heart as that is where true power is born." What? What did you say, Momma? Maggie asked excitedly. What are you talking about? Cried, Momma. And Momma walked off muddling to herself as she typically did.

What the hell was that? Maggie thought. She just had no idea what to make of it all. Nevertheless, Maggie was never one to give up or walk away from anything. She decided to keep the money and the book and allow herself time to figure out what to do. Her mother had taught her, when unsure what to do, do not do anything. Wait and think, and the answer will come.

Nearly a week passed, and Maggie continually thought about the money and the book. It was almost time to shed her pride and go back to the weekly food distribution. She sat at the table, thinking about her life. She was once a Ph.D. student studying Human Development but dropped out to care for her mother. She thought about what life would have been and what she would be doing. Her dissertation's area of expertise and topic was how urban gardening could help reduce food security. She thought that she would have been doing her research and helping people build resilience through urban gardening by now.

Suddenly, Maggie stood up abruptly! Her jaw dropped, and her eyes widened. It was an ah-ha moment for sure. She had goosebumps as she spoke aloud; I can create a program that teaches low-income people to grow personal urban gardens in the backyards, rooftops, or patios of their homes. All of her studying came back to her. She ran to the book and counted the money. There was $20,000. But wait. She thought. "Nothing is without limits except love. Follow your heart as that is where true power is born." As she read this again, she remembered. This is her quote. Something she wrote many years before she had dropped out of school to take care of her mother. Maggie suddenly knew what she had to do.

It would be easy to keep the money, but not for Maggie. She rummaged through her old school papers, looking for her proposal she had written a decade earlier. Ah-ha! She exclaimed! She would still be going to the food bank this chilly morning but not to stand in line for canned goods. She wanted to talk with the director about the plan she had created a decade ago to help those in need.

She planned to use the 20k to help families plant their gardens to grow healthy, nutritious food. With $20,000, she could help 100 families increase their food security and build personal resilience by creating an endless supply of fresh produce and eggs through gardening and raising chickens. It was a hypothesis she had over a decade ago and was not sure it would work, but she knew that this was the proper use of the found money.

As the winter settled in and the spring began to open, the sun's warm rays, Maggie and the food bank's community director began to employ the plan they created to help families in the community. With volunteers and some donated supplies from local stores, they began a community transformation through education and love. By mid-summer, more than 100 families had a personal garden and backyard chickens that would produce enough produce and eggs to feed their entire family and still had plenty to share with the food bank to distribute to others in need.

Momma was often found in the many gardens, helping to pick tomatoes and gather eggs. She was fond of talking with the chickens as well. "Nothing is without limits except love. Follow your heart as that is where true power is born." This is the mantra that Maggie kept in her heart and shared with others. Maggie never regretted sharing the money bestowed upon her. Moreover, her love and kindness are limitless as it shines through the many families it has touched, reaching across all genders, races, and religions.