9/29/2009

Harvest Rewards




Like many of you, I've been harvesting an abundance of fruit and vegetables from my garden the past few months. While I dig my fingers in the rich brown earth to find deep orange carrots or firm red potatoes I think about the growing season and pause.

I used to think a "harvest" was the reward or what I would receive after all my hard work. Yet, life has taught me that the harvest is hard work too. Even an abundance has to be gathered in, washed, prepared or preserved. The work never ends. And that is the way I like it.

Maybe we're not suppose to anticipate or wait for an easy time. Maybe the reward is the ability to perform meaningful work. Perhaps planning, planting, nurturing and harvesting is an eternal circle not a vertical list. We're never done. Meaningful work creates the reward and is the the reward.

9/02/2009

Acres of Roses


Once upon a time a bright and beautiful princess named Sandra was born to King Jordan and Queen Karen. She was an exceptionally imaginative child. Though her parents were unaware, Princess Sandra was born with the gift of music. She also had discerning eyes. When adults saw pestering insects and bugs, Sandra saw elves and fairies.
Every evening the king and queen would take little Sandy for a ride in a carriage in their manicured garden. When dragonflies flew past the carriage, the tiny princess watched with delight as a delicate creature with purple wings and a shimmering green body landed gently on her palm. Sandy smiled as the fairy preened in the sun and she laughed when the lovely winged creature flew away. The king and queen did not know the dragonfly was actually a fairy and shooed the horrible bug away.
Each day Princess Sandra grew and grew until one day she was old enough to go out into the garden alone. She spent many pleasant hours singing in the garden - playing with her fairy friends. She listened to the doves cooing in the trees and heard the buzz of insects in the grass. She dipped her toes in the pool of water and felt the sun warm her shoulders.
One day a black mole came to the garden and started chewing the roots to all the roses. One by one the rose bushes died for their roots had been eaten away. Princess Sandra was sad and frightened because her garden was slowly dying. She didn’t feel like singing any more.
She summoned her friends the fairies and asked for their help.
“I don’t know what to do,” Princess Sandra said. “The moles are eating the roots to all my roses. My garden is dying and I don’t know how to stop them.”
“Moles hate happy children,” the fairies said. “They try to destroy everything you have to sing about . . . but keep singing any way. Moles only have power when children stop singing. Singing sounds like horrible screeching to moles. Keep singing Princess Sandra. Your music will force the moles to leave.”
So each day after that Princess Sandra walked through her garden and sang a new and happy song. The moles had to pack their bags and leave because the princess would not stop singing.

Then Princess Sandra planted new roses – acres and acres of roses.


Happy Birthday Sandy. Your Grandma B. loves you very much!

9/01/2009

Green Tomato Secrets


One year the tomatoes in our garden weren’t turning red. Someone told me to stomp on the vines because stressing the plant would cause the tomatoes to ripen. I tried it. To my surprise – this odd remedy worked. I’ve learned it works the same way with people; we need problems to help us mature. We can learn a lot from green tomatoes.
I live in a place where a killing frost often comes early in the growing season. If I don’t read the weather report, I may go to sleep with a thriving healthy garden one night and wake up to a frozen wasteland the next morning. So, I’ve learned to be watchful so I can gather in my harvest sooner rather than later if necessary. Most fruits and vegetables must ripen on the vine or tree but some can be harvested green and still mature if given enough time. That is why I prize tomatoes. When an early frost forecast forces me to pick my tomatoes while they are still green, I know they will ripen later on their own. Tomatoes are resilient and adaptable; they turn red and delicious on the garden vine or in a box in the garage. I want to be like that - able to nourish others even when things aren’t going as expected for me. I know a couple of people who understand this “green tomato” secret to happiness. Let me tell you about them.
One of my friends has faced more serious health problems than any one I know - yet she seldom complains. One day I asked her why.
“Everyone has something hard they’re dealing with,” she said. “Having problems is not unique. Why should I dwell on mine? And besides I want friends. I won’t have any friends if I’m always complaining.”
Another man I know has also learned this remedy to self pity. He realizes there is no easy time of life for any one.
“I take my troubles to God and my love to everyone else,” he said.
All of us have good days and bad days. Each of us has our share of challenges. Though we can’t control the daily weather, we can control whether we choose to uplift others or feel sorry for our self.
“Oh, to be your age again,” my elderly neighbor said when I was in my thirties.
At first her comment confused me. I’d recently been thinking about how easy her life was. I knew from personal experience that being my age was often difficult. I figured my neighbor had forgotten about all the problems I faced each day raising a large family. Old age seemed like a breeze from where I stood. Then I realized I had no idea what heartbreak or difficulties she was dealing with. I decided it was time for me to pause from self interest and truly love and care about my neighbor, to find ways to ease her loneliness, health issues or the ache of unfulfilled dreams.
Each season of life has difficulties and delights. Though there are times when a killing frost comes before we’re ready, green tomatoes remind us that we always have a choice. We can choose to ripen and mature whether we’re in a box in the garage or sunning ourselves under blue skies on the vine. We can choose to nourish others or feel sorry for our self. That is the choice that determines our ultimate destiny.