Breath Fourteen:
I
am a gardener by default. My parents are
gardening enthusiasts and as a result my sister and I have inherited the
bug. Mine remains in check as I balance children. Yet, since they were babies, Lee, Frederick,
and Jane have helped me dig in the dirt, pull weeds (occasionally flowers),
water plants and one another. Who doesn't love to spray their kids with the hose for a little pay back? However, watch your back because the children
relish in finding a free hose. While we
are full swing in the gardening season, the kids are completing another season
of growing at school.
Similar
to slow and steady growth that occurs in the garden, my own children have
continued to mature, grow, and flourish.
It is bittersweet. My pride blooms as they have become confident readers
(Jane), curious historians (Lee), and language explorers (Frederick). My babies are finishing third grade, first
grade, and preschool. It is inevitable, I
will cry. In fact, I already have three
times since I started this paragraph. (Hopefully
most of the tears will be shed privately at home and not publicly the last days of school.) You know, growing children
is exhausting and hard, yet infinitely rewarding. Sometimes I have to weed out bad behaviors
and divide siblings up. But I also get
to shower them with exciting experiences.
I get to transplant them and travel to exciting places. And, I get to cover them with literature and
love.
This
was a long winter of dormancy for my yard.
But my Lee, Jane, and Frederick grew steadily and are thriving. So,
I will continue to sow seeds, experiment with plants, and care for my garden.
Tell
me, how does your garden grow?
Mine
grows ever so beautifully, even if I do say so myself.