For the first time since the hurricane destroyed my home two years ago, I now have new landscaping.

The full force of the hurricane that hovered above us for seven hours had whipped, pounded and pulverized everything outside.

My prized 7-foot mango tree was gone with the wind. All that was left of it was one solitary broken limb. My strong 10-year-old Myer Lemon tree, a grapefruit tree and every bit of my flower garden was ripped away.

I finally hired a landscaper to clear the ground, so we could begin to replant. She said she would have to come back with better tools to pull out the deep roots of what was once a brilliant bougainvillea bush.

We had so much to replace and never got around to digging out the old roots. I’m thankful for that because it allowed two survivors plants to suddenly pop through the ground, against all odds. The bougainvillea bush and an unidentified small purple flower are now adding some color in my garden.

I’m told the purple flower is actually a weed that grows wild. Funny though, how that so-called weed is as attractive as any flower and it’s far more durable.

To me, it’s not a weed. It’s a cherished flower along with the bougainvillea plant. I cherish them because they are teaching me lessons in survival.

When I see the little buds spring springing from the ground I see more than flowers. I see hope and renewal.

I’m always amazed how much I learn about life from working in a garden. That was especially true lately.

The two little flowers that came from nowhere reinforce what I always believe: Never give up.

While the bougainvillea plant was ripped away, it didn’t give up. Some little part of it survived and blossomed anew.

It plants the message that all is not lost when we think it is.

In nature, and in gardening in particular, I find lessons about life, such as you can beat the odds if you don’t give up.

Most of us have had experiences in surviving difficulties. Granted, some have way more experience than others.

I have two friends who serve as inspiration to me because of how they navigate challenging deep waters that would have drown less resilient people.

I’ve always admired my friend Darlene who survived serious brain surgery and two strokes.

Because of the strokes she can’t walk without often tipping over. Those frequent falls, in turn, make life even more precarious for her.

But she doesn’t let it stop her from a fully active life. When I watch her wobble as she walks I am filled with admiration for the young woman who will never give up.

I knew her for eight years before she told me she has had to overcome years of repeated sexual abuse from the person who was supposed to be protecting her - her father.

Yet Darlene is filled with gentleness and kindness.

“We all have a choice,” she says. “We can let our past destroy us or we can fight to create the life we want for ourselves. I refuse to be a victim. I’m just someone who loves and appreciates life.”

She may be gentle and soft-spoken but that’s one woman who is made of steel. She overcomes her struggles only because she is determined to do it.

How many people with her past and present challenges can be thankful for life?

Darlene says if she gave in to feeling sorry for herself she would be making herself a victim all over again.

My friend Jean is also determined not to let herself become a victim.

A few years after her husband died she was hit by a truck while she was on her way to visit a friend in the hospital.

She had a broken back and serious injuries at left her unable to walk again. She lives alone and has to overcome new struggles everyday.

As if she didn’t have enough physical problems she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease that is rapidly progressive.

Yet, she has always has a beautiful smile on her face and the most incredible loving spirit.

People are drawn to her inner strength. Many seem to know she has something special.

There was a time when I was having a pity party because of ongoing problems after surgery. But after a long telephone conversation with Jean I had a new attitude.

So many times, dear readers, I have told you life is an attitude. We can sit around pitying ourselves or, we can adjust our attitude and realize how blessed we really are.

Well, Jean is someone who brings that message home to me and to many others. She has incredible wisdom and spiritual strength.

When your coping skills need a boost, what do you do to put more gas in the tank, so to speak?

When we can’t find the answer within themselves, we might turn to other survivors for inspiration.

And, sometimes we can find that inspiration in nature.

Something like a long gone flower that suddenly has new life can speak to us about rebirth.

True survivors know surviving is more than living through a crisis. It’s gaining strength from that experience.

Plus, it’s learning this lesson from new growth in a garden.

Never give up. Never, never, give up.

Email Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.com.