Weeds!! Ugh!! It’s the never ending struggle between man and earth, gardener and plants that has been in existence since Adam left the Garden of Eden. As soon as I’ve picked the last of my garden nemesis and tossed them into the recycle bin, I turn around and….wait! Is that a new weed poking it’s tiny little head through my pristine dirt? UGH!!
I’ve been redoing my yard for the past few years, little pieces at a time. First, we had the pool yanked out. (I know, I know. Pretty weird for California, but whatever. I just go to the beach – it’s free!) Then we had all the old broken hardscape ripped out and fresh new concrete was poured in its place. Then sprinklers, sod, trees….you get the picture.
With the weather finally feeling like spring, I’m getting anxious to fill my yard with beautiful flowers and shrubs. I’m thinking hydrangeas, hostas, day lilies, star jasmine and sweet little annual flowers. I can already see it in my mind’s eye. The smell of fresh blossoms, the buzzing of honey bees and my beautiful little bird friends. Ahh…so peaceful and beautiful.
Then I open my eyes and spy yet another dastardly new weed creeping back to mess up the beautiful plan I have for my future yard! The nerve! I just don’t understand why I have to keep dealing with the same old issue over and over again.
But I feel a little tug at my heart reminding me that getting rid of weeds in my garden is no different that getting rid of the anger, frustration and mean spiritedness that is constantly sprouting up all around me all the time. There are times that I feel like I’m totally on top of everything, I’m happy, my dogs are happy, Hub’s happy….even the grocery story clerk is happy! And just when I’m feeling comfortable and pleased that everything is just humming along, someone cuts me off on the drive home. Or the dog pukes or I get a text with the latest crazy tweet or the phone rings and a dear friend is there telling me about the challenges they are having.
Life is really hard sometimes. It’s full of weeds. Then there are times that life isn’t too bad, almost wonderful, even. I guess as my garden has evolved over time, my outlook on life has too. I’m never going to fully get rid of the ugly, no matter how hard I try. There are simply too many things out of my control. But I can keep plugging away on the things that ARE in my control – my response to others, my attitude, my willingness to slow down and listen when someone needs me. The rest will simply keep coming, just like my weeds.
I heard someone say once that pulling weeds in your garden burns almost 500 calories. So I suppose I should be thankful that my weed pulling helps keep me healthy, both physically and emotionally. Kind of the same way that dealing with the ugly in life helps me appreciate the beauty as well. If all we ever saw were flowers and rainbows, wouldn’t we naturally start taking them for granted?
**sigh** Well, I’ve got my garden gloves on and I just spotted a new baby dandelion so I’m heading back out. Wish me luck!
The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul. – Alfred Austin
