Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Mon Jardin


Wish this was my "jardin!"
Jardin” is garden in French. Life is a lot like a garden. You try planting different things to see what you like, what is too hard to maintain, and what blossoms and grows from year to year. You also have to take the time to weed out what you don’t want.
I spent all morning in my “jardin” today planting plants that I culled from my sister’s enormous and beautiful garden. My sister is always generous with her plants which I love because it’s like Christmas early! Today I cleaned up a lot from the winter, fertilized my roses, gardenias, and shrubs, weeded and planted. The breeze kept me cool, the sun kept me warm, the bugs weren’t too bad and all the plants are in the ground. My step-dad gave me some rosemary too, but he said to let that wait a bit before I plant it so it’s on my porch out of the sun, moist and happy.
After my rant about my daughter the other day, I thought of her this morning while I was planting. I looked at a particular plant that I put in the ground last year. I thought I’d lost to a hard frost, but no, low and behold there were six or seven new leaves at the base. So I trimmed back the old growth and gave light to the new. Just like I must do with my daughter. Her new leaves are sprouting and I, the “old” growth, must be cut away for hers to thrive. I must trust her to make good choices for herself even when I’m in doubt. That is the way of life, isn’t it? Cutting back old growth so the new can reach for the warm and life giving sun? Yes, life is a lot like a “jardin” and we can learn more than we think sometimes from watching both grow. I smile, now thinking of the time I have in both life and my “jardin”, weeding, trimming, nurturing and marveling in how beautiful and thorny both can be.

Photo:
soloplanos.com

4 comments:

  1. Hi, I have read back through a few of your posts, especially the one about your daughter. Cigarettes and alcohol are both drug addictions, I believe. Please don't give up on your daughter's problems. One of my daughters was addicted to smoking and it took a doctor telling her she had only one year left to live if she didn't give them up. That very day, she threw her cigarettes away, but she wound up with COPD, anyway. She has to use inhalers sometimes. I hope your daughter will give her cigarettes and alcohol up. Thinking of you... Best regards to you. Ruby

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    1. Ruby/Grammy, I sincerely appreciate your kind words. I promise you I won't give up on my lovely one. Even if I'm struggling I can't just walk away. I'm sorry for your daughter's problems and am glad you are there for her. Thanks for visiting my blog, and, I love your Sluthin' story.

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  2. I've recently (as in the last few weeks) started gardening. Thank you for this insightful perspective into my Jardin.

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    1. Brittany, glad to be of use!

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