Recently, I have been passing my mornings and early afternoons getting my hands dirty. A wonderful friend (and a former high school teacher of mine) has enlisted my help to clean up her garden. The arrangement is convenient, for it is a way that we can both help one another. I give her my time and energy to do what she is unable to do with two small children to care for, and she pays me so I can eat and drive. But I’ll share a secret: I think I’m getting more out of this deal than she is. I say that because I am the one who gets to dig my hands into dirt and mulch, and disappear among the living, growing, green plants, breathing the fresh air they give off, and finding a feeling of renewal and rejuvenation growing inside of me. I watch as lily pad flowers unfold in the morning sun, and learn the names of beautiful flowers and plants. My favorites that are blooming in her garden right now are the Lord Baltimore Hibiscus and the large, purple Dahlias. It is not uncommon to discover a new flower or plant every day, or at least take notice of a feature or characteristic I had never observed before. Through my toil I suffer many bites from mosquitoes, who unfortunately like me too much to be put off by bug spray, and my arms become scratched and irritated from the thorny branches that graze my skin (people who look at my forearms probably think I mutilate myself, but I only have plants to blame). I gladly take these wounds of the toil, the sweat, and the fatigue brought on by the sun and humidity. Why? The answer is simply that I have come to love gardening over the past 8 years. I love to work with my hands, cultivate and create something beautiful. My friend’s garden is an already breath-taking space, but knowing that I have helped to keep it so, or perhaps improved upon its beauty, brings me joy and satisfaction. Working and bending and kneeling and digging and breathing in the midst of this living work of art- the garden- I find myself more peaceful even with the burdens that weigh on my mind and heart, the questions and struggles I face in this new landscape in my life. Songs have sometimes descended upon my tongue and voice and kept me company (not to mention the company of one little, eager black dog and one enormous, fluffy white dog who share the garden space with me). I’m grateful for this time, even if it occasionally tires me out too much or infringes on my time for job searching (still struggling with that, I must say).
Other noteworthy things: enjoyed a good Sunday-Sabbath, with a nice visit from Jackson and David Ferrell! Yay for visitors!
by love.
Wednesday, August 04, 2004
The tao of gardening
Posted by Kristi at 2:49 PM
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2 comments:
I think the medieval monks were onto something. Hard physical labor is good for the soul. I go running thirty minutes a day, at least three days a week, and when I get done I feel wonderfully tired. I think it helps me sleep better, and it reminds me that God made all this stuff I'm seeing, and it helps me focus my will on seeing the thing through. One foot in front of another. It's a pretty wonderful feeling sometimes, especially when you just let the sweat drip down the sides of your face and don't wipe it off.
Can't say I create nothin' beautiful by my running, though. It's cool that you can get that out of your gardening.
Yay for visitors indeed. And, as Reese Roper once said, "Hooray for school."
Hey! My comment for the day... hmmmm.... Oh, along the lines of your beautiful observations about the garden, I share with you a quote I found by Henri Cartier-Bresson, an amazing photographer who just died this week. Think on it, perhaps, in relation to the Christ-filled life as well as seeing the beauty around us.
"In whatever one does, there must be a relationship between the eye and the heart. With the one eye that is closed, one looks within, with the other eye that is open, one looks without." - Henri Cartier-Bresson
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