Planting Seeds

This time of year, when the snow begins to melt (it may take our valley until about June for that to fully take place) and the sun warms things up a bit, I begin thinking about planting a garden. I already ordered this year's seeds and they arrived a couple of weeks ago. They're currently residing on a shelf in my utility room in anticipation of planting season.

Because I've been plotting how this year's garden will look, I've been thinking about the effort that will be required, the tools needed, etc. In short, I've been pondering the importance of securing the right kind of seeds to plant, how best to nurture those seeds, and the harvest that will eventually take place if all goes well.

Since I tend to focus on the positive aspects of most ventures, I refuse to allow future difficulties to discourage me from this gardening quest. I will not dwell on potential frosts, bug damage, or weeds, keeping my sights set on what can take place if the right kind of effort transpires.

I will not dwell on last year's failures, like the frozen zucchini crop, the poisoned horseradish root I had been lavishing attention on for nearly 4 years---until my husband sprayed it with weed repellent, nor even the beets we harvested, only to find that half of those beets had been chewed to pieces by varying bug creatures. (You know who you are, and you will be dealt with severely this year. I'm just sayin' . . .) All of these adventures will be chalked up to vital learning experiences that will help make this year's garden even more successful.

I will try very hard to keep my focus on the possibilities, not the discouragements that take all of the fun out of everything. In short, I love playing in the dirt and I will enjoy myself immensely as we encourage seedlings to grow.

That said, I will now stretch this learning moment to apply to something else. You may have noticed the cute picture of my little granddaughter at the beginning of this post. This is Aari, my first, and at the moment, only grandchild. She is six months old and so much fun, we love it when she comes to visit.

I find myself wondering what I can teach this little one, to ease her way through life. In essence, what kind of seeds will we all plant within her heart and mind, anticipating a rich harvest some day?

While she was here over Easter weekend, we exposed her to several family traditions. She watched, intrigued as we colored Easter eggs:

She enjoyed a baby cracker as the rest of us ate far too much for our Easter feast. Here we're sampling strawberry shortcake after devouring glazed ham, asparagus, & garlic potatoes:

Aari is seated between her uncle Kris and her mommy, Kristen, keeping a sharp eye on the strawberry shortcake. I suspect this little one will love fun foods, holidays, and gathering together as a family. And she will always know that she is a very important member of our family, even if she is young and quite small.

Since music is a big deal in my family, and most of us were blessed with the ability to play multiple musical instruments by ear, we are already exposing Aari to fun musical opportunities. She currently loves classical music. This is very good. ;)

She has already learned that Daddy keeps her safe--

Mommy takes good care of her---

And it's important to spend some time playing every day . . .

Aari knows she is greatly loved, and that is one of the most important things she can ever learn. I'm sure we'll all make our share of mistakes with regard to influencing this newest member of our family, but we'll try very hard to chalk those moments up to learning experiences and strive to do better, knowing what is at stake.

Someday when this little girl is older, she'll be a direct result of the numerous seeds planted within her heart and mind, some of which I suspect took root long before she arrived in this mortal sphere. It will be interesting to see the end result. ;) Perhaps that's how some of my ancestors feel about me. =D Regardless, the harvest yield will always be affected by the types of seeds planted, and the nurturing element. And if the right combination is blended, the rewards will be worth any effort extended.