Any Good Gardener

It’s been over a week since I wrote about my dear, sweet grandfather and life just sky rockets along. Spring bounds in and there seems to be too much to do and not enough time to complete all the projects on my to-do list. Since I turned in my final grades for my class at Vanderbilt last Wednesday, I have spent hours weeding, edging, mulching, and planting in our yard. Frustratingly enough, new weeds are already growing in one of the beds I cleared last week. And between you and me, weeding is not my favorite thing - a thankless sort of task. Because most of the time, no one even notices. But since weeding is the necessary preparation for the good part – the showy mulch, bright flowers, and clean edging – it must be done. Such is life.

We lay a solid foundation for any good thing, and find, what we build on top of it can stand tall and strong (think healthy eating, a vibrant marriage, effective parenting, a class, exercising, a bountiful garden . . .). I learn – over and over again – that there is very little in life that wouldn’t be made better through thoughtful preparation.

And the weeds, well they are everywhere (in our yards, our relationships, our eating) and if we look closely enough, we can sometimes find a reason for their clinging tenacity. Like any obstacle, they are there to illuminate something. And whether your weeds are literal or figurative, like any good gardener, the wisdom lies in knowing what weeds just need to be uprooted on the spot and which troublesome ones’ deep roots keep hanging on to either drive you absolutely crazy or open you up to greater introspection.

Ironically, I’m not choosing either today. Because the real trick to weeding our way through life is the ability to balance our thoughtful preparation and planning with a spirit of spontaneity and living in the moment. Today, I have five whole kid-free hours in which I could be a whirling dervish in our ever-beckoning yard. But my mom has offered to treat me to a facial (thank you mom!) and one of my very best friends (whom I see way too infrequently) called to see if I was free for lunch. Free? Heck yes, I’m free! Because there are times when we just have to say, “Weeds be damned!” as we focus on that foundation for self-care . . . an area where I’ve definitely got some flowers to pick and some seeds to sow. So today – YES today – I’m heading out and am SO looking forward to it.

I invite you to ask yourself, “Where are your weeds that just need to be pulled and where are there lessons hiding under that bright, egg-yolk yellow splash of dandelion?" Then, either get gardening, or call a friend and make some plans. Either way, you’ll be feeding your soul exactly what it needs.