Spending a summer week with Uncle Gilbert, my grandfather’s brother was torture! He and his wife were farmers and I spent a week of Vacation Bible School with them. It was out of that summer experience that I became aware of the following.
I learned potatoes grow underground after spending way too much time looking for them on top of the ground.
I do not enjoy hot weather even though July is my birth month. My mom believed the myth that you naturally like the weather of the month in which you were born so she couldn’t understand me at all.
I don’t do snakes, not even the garden kind that eats rats.
I puke at the taste of buttermilk.
I love real butter!
My grandfather, whom I affectionately called “Paw Paw” was a farmer as well who treasured his time with the soil. He had all kinds of fruit trees, pecan, and black walnut trees, and in my opinion a sizeable garden. Watching corn grow; seeing the planting of a small seed progress into stalks taller than I was, was fascinating and helped me understand the process of patiently waiting with expectation that the seed would produce after its kind.
Although I don’t like heat and hated working in the garden with Uncle Gilbert, I found delight in being in the garden with Paw Paw. You see, he didn’t just work the garden, he connected with the garden. He’d whistle and hum and take time to gingerly walk through the rows and appreciate the growing stage of each type of vegetable. He only expected them to follow their designed growth schedule. An expectation that I’d eventually have to adopt. He’d always tell me, “Don’t pick it before it’s time,” because if I saw a sprout I was ready to pick it! I had to learn to recognize when vegetables were ready for harvesting. Because Paw Paw was community-minded, he planted abundantly to have more than enough to share.
After his death, I had this crazy idea that I would take on the garden to keep his legacy going. My sister-in-love was excited to help me as she considered herself to be a “country girl” and wanted to eat homegrown vegetables. Listen, that was the hardest work I’ve ever done in my life! I learned that hanging out with Paw Paw was not the same as being the farmer and I vowed to never attempt gardening again, until…..
Until three years ago. Why then? Because I love a good bacon-lettuce-tomato (BLT) sandwich and we just couldn’t find any tasty tomatoes for a couple of summers. So, I decided to grow my own. Then, I got the bright idea that I should also try my hand at raised bed gardening as a way to enjoy retirement. Unlike Paw Paw, I wasn’t trying to feed many people, so a small bed would be perfect. I’ve tried different foods; some did well while others didn’t for various reasons, mainly pests. But with three years under my belt, I have a good handle on caring for the soil, knowing where to buy the best plants and seeds, and which plants grow best for me.
This spring and summer we have thoroughly enjoyed delicious veggies. But it’s been a scorching hot summer for us here and it’s been extremely hard on my vegetables. The other day after giving them a good watering and examination, I realized it was time to pull them up and prepare the soil for fall planting. There was that part of me though, that wanted to be optimistic, hold off for another week or two, and see if the plants would produce any more. But, after a few days, I did it. I uprooted all the squash and beans and fertilized the soil. Although I knew it was time to uproot, it was still hard to let go of the “but maybe.”
I thought about the scripture in Ecclesiastes, “There’s a season for everything and a time for every matter under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 A season can be defined as a period, an opportunity, a term, or an interval that has a beginning and an end.
You know, we have all dealt with “but maybe” when faced with the decision requiring us to let go, uproot, or walk away. I put good money, a lot of time, and love into my gardening which delivered amazingly delicious veggies that I didn’t want to stop enjoying. But the season to reap from those plants was over. So what do you do now? How do you embrace; willingly and enthusiastically accept the end of a fruitful season in life and begin starting over?
I offer these suggestions.
Take time to acknowledge your gratitude for the blessings and benefits that the season provided.
Be grateful for what you have that is constant in a world where things are always changing. For me, that constant is God’s love, mercy, divine kindness, and faithfulness.
Have a never-the-less frame of mind. By this, I’m referencing Christ’s wrestling in the Garden of Gethsemane with letting go of his will and surrendering to God’s. Wrestling happens. And I think that the ability to embrace and move forward comes when we can be pliant and trust God and ourselves enough to let go.
Find inspiration in the new season. Be open to a different way of feeling and thinking about the closing of one season and the beginning of another. The end of a season doesn’t have to be all negative.
Growing squash, corn, and beans taught me to keep the soil ready for the next planting and don’t let the weeds come in and suck up the nutrients. In other words, keep the weeds out of your mind. Don’t let negative thoughts and emotions overtake you. “The seeds that are watered frequently are those that will grow strong.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
Seasons change. Plant something different!
Always encouraging reflection,
WandaP
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