FALLING FRUIT // A reflective observation of the adaptability and resilience of the Mangifera Indica

I remember reading an article in the earliest days of the pandemic, the author noted she was trying to “find grace in the free fall.” I clung to that idea for a few weeks in the late spring of 2020 before surrendering to the daily emotional and mental falls. Falls that ended in hitting the metaphorical ground, hard, again and again and again.

On May 28th, 2021 I was masked and vaccinated, on a plane bound for Roatan, Honduras. Set to create time to reflect on human adaptability and resilience.

I stayed at a small family-run hotel, where I spent hours watching the fruit from the surrounding mango trees fall to the ground. Again and again and again. I heard the thumps in a rhythmic pattern, never ceasing no matter the time of day.

The Mangifera Indica tree boasts a cylindrical tap root system that extends up to 20 feet in the ground, anchoring the tree and making it difficult to uproot. Its other adaptations include thick cuticled leaves and true fruit that surrounds its precious seed. Once fallen and decayed, the seed is prime for continued growth.