Have you ever had to thin out seedlings? It's time consuming, and it can be somewhat difficult. After taking care of these little seeds and watching them sprout, you have to be extremely careful to separate each and every little seedling and then replant them apart from each other... This is not a task to do when you have a toddler running around and a baby crawling in the garden... My first son is two and a half years old. My second is seven months old. Any time I have to myself in the garden is a serious miracle, which is why I save my gardening time for when my husband, Matt, gets home from work. I walk out there. I water the plants. Then, I look at each one to see how I can help them grow.
I fell in love with gardening when Matt and I moved for the second time. He built me a small raised bed for some tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and jalapenos. While my tomatoes and jalapenos did wonderfully, the others did not, but I didn't care. I grew something! I grew something that we could EAT! It excited me, and I wanted to do more. I learned from my mistakes by doing more research on what I planted next. After another failed garden, another move, a failed container garden, a baby, and another raised bed, I finally got the hang of it. I still failed in this last one, but the success this time was so great that it outweighed the failure by a long shot. I was pregnant with our second son (an August baby) during this last raised bed garden as well, I might add. So, quite literally, anyone can do this!
This year, I went all in on the garden. We have two raised beds now and plan to add another, maybe two. I planted tomatoes, jalapenos, cucumbers, banana peppers, okra, green beans, radishes, carrots, brussel sprouts, zucchini, squash, lettuce, and kale. Outside of the garden, I planted our first blueberry bush and a strawberry plant as well. Matt just finished building a strong fence to protect it all the other night.
I swear, having kids changes everything. It changes the way you watch TV shows, how you hear lyrics in songs, and random parts of your life, like gardening. Before kids, gardening was about providing something that we could eat that was healthy and free. How cool?! Now, it's every bit of that excitement and more. Yes, I love that I can grow something from a seed and feed it to my family for months at a time. It is one of the coolest things I've ever learned to do. But when you stop and think of the process. When you think of how it all starts with a seed. The seed needs water and nourishment and someone to look after it, much like a baby. You watch that seed grow into a plant, and you continue to nourish it and protect it every way that you can. Sometimes you fail. Sometimes you succeed. When you do succeed, you see that finished product, and you think to yourself, "I did it. I poured everything I had into that, and I am proud of it." When you fail, you learn, you readjust, and you move forward.
As a mom, I look at every step as a representation of a mother-son relationship. I'm proud to say that I'm our kids' best friend right now (even though my husband is currently giving me a run for my money with our oldest... and if we're being honest, our youngest is already looking up to his older brother). I enjoy every minute of being a mom. I love doing any and everything that I have to in order to make sure they have what they need. When I fail, which is oh so often it's not even funny, I have to stop what I'm doing, readjust (pray and reconnect with my kids), and move forward. Going out to the garden to tend to each plant is much like motherhood. Each plant has different needs just like our children do. One may need a little more attention than the other at times, and that's okay.
When I had to thin out my radishes the other night, at first I was annoyed. I was tired. Do I really need to do this right now? Can I put this off for a more convenient time? Do the seedlings really need to be thinned out anyway?... Yes. They do, and I know this. Similarly, I ask myself questions when my kids are throwing a fit. Do I really need to deal with this right now? Can I put off discipline for another time? Do my kids actually need me at this very second?... Yes. They do, and I know this. So, instead of putting it off, I waited for Matt to be available to watch the kids, put on my gloves and carefully went to work on each plant and their needs. I did what I was supposed to do and what is expected of me.
I know that I'm lucky to not be alone. Not everyone has a husband that is willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears for a few raised garden beds and a big fence surrounding it for his wife (after working a full time job all day too). Not everyone has a husband who will take the time to play with the kids and give mommy her much needed alone time every single night. Not everyone has a husband that leads, protects, and supports the way that Matt does. He just does what he is supposed to do and then some more. It amazes me, his drive to do and be the very best.
I'm beyond blessed, and I know this. That's why I thank God every night for the little family I have. He put us together for a reason, I know. I also thank Him for the many lessons I learn every day, like how gardening relates to many parts of my life. The most recent lesson was sent from my son's preschool. His school sent us seeds to plant for Easter (as a representation of Jesus' resurrection). Thinning out the radishes doesn't just represent motherhood to me; it represents the work put in a marriage and a family. It also represents how God sees us, like little seedlings needing guidance as we grow into what we are supposed to become.
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