Day 376
My pups simply LOVE to dig, dig, DIG!!! As soon as I fill in one hole, another one magically appears! Lilly and Ranger have outgrown this entertaining pastime, so I know it is only a matter of time until "This too shall pass".
I, too, was digging in the dirt today. Working in the front yard, I began to realize how gratifying the interaction is with the earth. I even thought that my young Goldens might know a bit about that! Those of you who know me best will attest to the fact that "getting dirty" is not part of my persona! Clean (disregard any dog hair in my house) is synonymous with my comfort zone. I do admit that getting my hands dirty in the garden starts out as a struggle, but eventually becomes balm to the soul.
Planting, watering, nurturing and tending is such a soothing enterprise. Starting out with a plan to beautify usually ends up with a wonderful mindless journey of thoughts and memories as I literally become one with the earth.
As I worked around the hostas, my mind took the journey back to a time when I must have been about four. I remember our renter, Dorothy Zeman, found a small tree in her planter by the door. With the help of my own Nanny, who lived next door, the two elderly ladies hiked up their skirts and aprons and knelt in the dirt to plant the little seedling in my grandmother's back yard. That tree now stands about 40 feet tall. Oh, what a little bit of love can accomplish.
It seems to me that people need the same things to survive and thrive.
Planting: A firm foundation in family
Watering: Making sure those who matter are showered with life-giving gifts
Nurturing: Always making an effort to praise, encourage and support those we love
Tending: Checking on loved ones to see that their needs are always met.
Today, Asher and I were shopping and he saw some seed packets. Always the Anokan (Loves Halloween) he pointed at some pumpkin seeds and asked if we could buy them. I told him that we certainly could! Then, he spied another packet of pumpkin seeds on the bottom of the rack that had actual jack-o-lanterns on the front. He grabbed it and said, "HEY, NANNY! Do these seeds grown into carved pumpkins?" Hiding my smile, and with a heart full of love, I responded, "No, Sweetie. The seeds will grow into pumpkins, but they wouldn't want to take the joy of carving the faces from us! Isn't that nice of them?" He nodded and handed me the seed packet with excitement written all over his face!
Digging in the earth, nurturing plants and people and carving pumpkins...life is good!
