I am a gardener. I sow and reap the most beautiful fruits and veggies. It is a wonderful gift to have your own garden…especially one that grows and gives with such little attention given by me. Each year I am so excited to start my garden, and each year I can never seem to keep up with it – the weeds, the picking of the veggies, the cooking of the fresh veggies, and did I mention the weeds? I am thankful to have this plot of land in my yard that holds the excitement of an adventure each spring, is full of surprises all summer and is ready to rest in the fall.
Today I spent the day cleaning it out, taking care of it, tucking it in into bed for its cold winter’s nap. It looks tidy, ready for a rest from all its hard work and gift giving of this year. As I pulled the weeds and cut back the raspberry bushes, I thought, ‘Thank you. You have been so independent this year and given me such happiness.’
I just love my raspberry bushes that my husband Rex gave me one Mother’s Day many years ago! As I was cutting them back, I saw that they had another present waiting for me – 4 beautiful raspberries that I ate as I picked them. So sweet and so delicious. A smile on my face, I savored them until I could no longer and was happy that they showed themselves to me! It made me happy to know that I’d see them again next year.
Those four hidden raspberries made me think. What other hidden gems are in my life, that if I don’t look carefully, I will miss entirely? I’m sure that there are many, but I look ahead, and not back to focus on missing them. Focusing on missing something I didn’t see in the past keeps me focused on not seeing in the future! As I look forward, I know that my eyes will search and find the gems that I am supposed to find because I am ready to see them when they appear.
May your eyes be open to all of the gems in your life.
I am a gardener.
So true, so insightful…so relatable!
Those that don’t garden seem anti-God…”for what is God after all but an eternal child playing an eternal game in an eternal garden?” ~ Sri Aurobindo. for what faith we exude in the practice of gardening even gardening our own Souls. Master Gardener here from the OSU extension college & it’s nice we have this in common. I love blueberry plants & all flowers like you appreciate your raspberries bushes. This year I put in a couple of lemon trees & an espalier lemon & a 5 pear & a 4 grafted apple tree & the lemons are the size of walnuts at present so I will have lemon drinks in the morning from them come December or January.
Your garden sounds like heaven, Lonnie! I definitely want to spend more time outside gardening when I transition from working full time to doing something else! I love fresh lemons off the tree! Thank you for sharing that beautiful quote. I’m glad we have a love of the earth and its gifts in common as well!