The Parable of the Artichoke

I have decided to just let my life take me places instead of trying to control where I end up. Whenever I make a plan, it goes out the window. I guess I've just had a lot on my mind the past couple days, and the more I think about it, the clearer it becomes. Life is hard, then you die. But why is it hard? So I can grow!
Have you ever studied the life of an artichoke? I haven't, but I hear their life is a lot like mine. Actually, my life is more like the bush that an artichoke grows on. I take forever and ever to grow, then as soon as something good comes of all my growing (like a happy fruit) someone picks it off and eats it. Then I grow for another year or so till another fruit grows on me. The fruit kind of represents the things I'm proud of. Milestones in my life that make me think I've done a good job and that I've done something for the world. But once that fruit has been picked, I feel empty for a while and I am always very impatient for another fruit to start to develop.
Ok, so that's a weird analogy. But really, this is how it happens! And the most important thing is, I have to grow that fruit on my own. My Gardener (being the Lord) can fertilize me and water me, but I can choose whether I want to keep growing or if I want to just die. After that fruit is picked off, yes, I sort of feel like dying sometimes. But then my Gardener comes and waters me, and I know that soon I will start to develop another fruit that someone else can enjoy later. But I can't grow unless someone picks that fruit! My trials make me able to grow. Amazing.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, I hope it's a fast harvesting year in the artichoke world. Firstly because I feel like I've just been picked and I want to start being productive and living my life as soon as possible, and secondly because I love artichokes and writing this has made me hungry.
Ciao!