Reaping What You Sow...

I have not had a garden in my backyard for probably seven years. This year I decided to resurrect the hobby and try my hand at planting once again. The 12x24 raised garden plot had been home to a swingset until recently when my husband and I dismantled the rusty eyesore and carted it to the citywide dump day. Not only was the swingset falling into disrepair, but the weeds had gotten unbelievably out of hand.

On Saturday, I had the garden area tilled. Yesterday, I headed out with a rake to work the soil. A 12x24 area doesn't sound very big until you are in one square foot of it sifting through the dirt and looking across at what seems like a very daunting task. I began raking more furiously taking bigger swaths in an attempt to get the job done faster. Obviously, I soon tired and was not even coming close to the desired results.

The point at which I slowed down and began focusing on a smaller patch just to catch my breath, was my "Ah-ha" moment...any task worth doing well deserves time and patience. The answer to the question how do you eat an elephant is...one bite at a time. I stopped looking at what I had left to do, pushed aside the notion that I could accomplish other tasks if I could get this one done quicker, and just took joy in the task at hand. All of sudden the birds singing and chirping their unrehearsed melodies became the background music to the squeaking of my rake handle. The warm breeze caressed my face, and the aroma of freshly turned soil wafted in and out of my nose. I felt lighter and energized. My mind began comparing other tasks to this gardening revelation and eventually I thought about my grandma and all the hours she would spend in her garden lovingly tending to the duration of the plants and eventually reaping a grand bounty for her efforts.

I'm sure I will get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life again all too soon, but my hope is that I can recall the "Ah-ha" moment again sooner in the future and take time to be joyful in all that I do.

Have a joyous day and a blessed weekend!! I'm off to plant then on to my beading!!

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