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Monserrat Benitez

Mrs. Wold

ERWC Online

14 April 2023

Integrity

Oftentimes clovers are overlooked and disregarded as pesky weeds but they are much

more than that. They are not just a weed that ruins your perfect lawn or that grows from the

cracks in your driveway, this wonderful and mysterious plant can be used in medicine, can be

eaten and symbolizes hope. Clovers are unrelenting and grow even in the harshest conditions

which makes them a perfect embodiment of hope, it radiates a hope filled aura from their leaves

to the roots buried deep in the rich soil beneath them. I believe that many of the events and

experiences that clovers go through in their lives parallel to what humans go through. Every part

of the clover is integral to survival just like humans even if we doubt it every action and

experience is what builds our lives and future experiences. The clovers sprout from soil that is

filled with minerals and nutrients, roots keep that connection alive, the stem connects the roots to

the leaves, the leaves vary in color,size and quantity which makes them each unique and they

group together to increase their chances of survival.

In relation to a clover the soil is essentially the foundation of the plant because without it

nothing would grow and the roots connect the soil and the plant , it takes all the nutrients and

minerals in the soil and uses it to grow wherever it can. Just like a clover I have a foundation that

I grow from but line is my experience and knowledge rich life which guide me. As I keep

feeding my brain with more knowledge I grow stronger and more confident in myself just how a

clover grows and persits. When I was learning to drive I studied and learned the rules of the road
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in order to complete and pass my written test and used my explicit knowledge in order to

stimulate and grow my implicit knowledge. I used that new knowledge to practice driving and

familiarize myself with each function of the car in order to make the car move, stop and turn.

Without prior experience or knowledge, had I been thrown into a car and been told to drive I

would have definitely gotten into a crash and injured myself and others. Being able to fill my

brain with knowledge and being able to access specific bits of information reminds me of the

roots of clovers that reach and suck the nutrients from the soil which keeps the clover alive and

keeps its growth steady and strong.

Although all plants have very similar ways of growing and this is the case for all clovers

they grow in the same process but there are a few things that make them unique and individual.

They all can have differences in color and quantity of leaves, one can be green with 3 leaves and

some yellow spots while another one in the same area can be green with 4 leaves and they would

look completely different. These slight differences that the clovers have perfectly encapsulate

human beings and how different and unique we each are even if we share the same experiences

and knowledge we can still be very different. Me and my sister grew up together and were

dressed the exact same for a while when we were younger but as we grew up and developed our

own interests we began to dress very differently. I went more towards darker colors while she

went to more lighter and flowy clothes. We shared the same experiences and the same

upbringing but we had slightly different interests and friends which ultimately changed our styles

and personalities. We still share many similarities in our personalities because of our shared

childhood experiences and feelings because just like a clover we have a stem that connects our

roots to our leaves and the stem in human beings is their childhood experiences. Stems can be
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long, short,skinny or wide but they all have one thing in common and that is that they connect to

a beautiful pair of leaves that perfectly represents them.

When I see clovers while driving or walking I always see them in groups of 10 or more,

this makes me wonder if they do it out of survival or out of necessity. It could very well be both

just like how humans gather, we often feel safety in groups because it makes sure that of

anything happens there is a decrease in the possibility of being hurt but we also gather out of the

need for company and exchanging of interests which fuel our pursuit of knowledge and keeps us

as a species constantly moving forwards. Clovers must also take this concept unknowingly

because the more there are, the less likely they will be crushed and the more likely they will be

able to grow back quickly because of them gathering more nutrients being put into the soil from

the crushed ones. Humans and their environment are more alike than we like to believe, the only

difference is that we are consciously making these decisions and actions while plants and

animals are doing it unconsciously and learned without speaking or reading.

Clovers should never be seen as just a weed that disrupts people's lives but should be

admired and cherished because of the similarities between humans and nature. They share

multiple integral steps in development including a strong foundation, a strong connection, an

absorbing link, individuality and a sense of survival. If they can grow in even the strangest places

then so can I and so can you.