gardening patience

A few years ago while cleaning being our fence, my husband spotted a plant growing through the chain-link fence. He mentioned it to me, and when I viewed it I told him we had to try and save it. We called it a Wild Rose, and Jesse proceeded to gently untwine the plant from the fence, and then plant it in our yard. It has taken a couple of years for the plant to become healthy, but this Spring it did provide us with one little bloom.

What was once a twisted, struggling plant is now free to grow in full sun and good soil. The result is a healthy plant: shining green leaves, sturdy branches and a bloom alluding to more beauty that will be shone in future years.

Tending to my children lives and to our gardens provides me time to think about growth. As a mother and learning guide (I've decided that phrase describes more of what I do than "teacher") I must be patient. Children's lives need an environment in which to grow, but it is up to the child to do the growing. The will to live, to flourish, to learn, has to come from himself. It would have been easy to cast this wild rose aside, to put it in the compost pile.

It is easy with children to see their weaknesses, what they cannot do or be, and give up on their character or skill. In my own experience I have seen that when consistent attention, support, love is focused on an area in which my child is struggling he/she begins to flourish. At times I am surprised at the strengths which result; strengths which I did not foresee. Some people enjoy surprises, and while I'm not one of those people, the way in which my children seem to consistently surprise me with who they are becoming is always welcome.