Weeding is a Way of Life

Today two friends who are former high school classmates of mine came and did yard work. My yard looks beautiful, my patio is so clean that there is nary a stray leaf in sight and while they weeded a whole long planter box that is almost the length of my house I trimmed a bag of rosemary to dry and pulled weeds.

The thing about pulling weeds is that is a lot like eating nuts or chips or other snackie munchies--you can't pull one weed any more than you can eat one nut! It was lovely to be out in the sun and exhilarating to pull weeds until I came in and realized how tired I am! Thank goodness for Ibuprofen--what would I do without it?

The next stage in the garden is to plan where to put some of the things that are overgrowing their pots--and then get new plants for the pots! Iris and calla lily and mystery bulbs await replanting. A long planter box is full of herbs that would probably each like a nice deep pot of its own. There are four rose bushes growing on the front porch that probably should be in the ground. One snags me every time I go past as though to say, "plant me, plant me."

The Irises on the counter have changed overnight. One flower completely withered and drew in while a bud near it grew and grew and was completely open this morning. Another is going through the same process and I have been watching it all day. A third is just starting to curl in and I think there is another bud behind it. It is a real illustration of the cycle of life and of transformation happening before my eyes. It is amazing, heart gladdening and humbling all at the same time.

Weeding as a Way of Life

Today I had the good fortune to be outdoors for a while, weeding and surveying my little domain. The rosemary really is a monster that looks like it wants to take over the patio. (I joke that it is the rosemary that is trying to take over the county.)The potted plants were looking pretty forlorn and in need of water. I hauled two plastic jugs out and watered them.

Weeding is like so many of the other mundane jobs of life. A few minutes here, a few minutes there. You can see were you have been and what you have accomplished. Housework is like that, especially washing dishes and folding laundry.

Weeding as a way of life has other analogies though. Routing out the clutter in our lives, physically and mentally is like weeding. A little here, a little there and space is cleared: we can see where we have been.

Habits can be another form of weed, especially when they are the old Catholic venial sins. Pulling them up one at a time can make for a fresh start. Like weeds, like clutter they will keep creeping back and we will have to pull them again.

Tomorrow there will be a few new weeds and more plants to water. If I'm really energetic I'll clip a little rosemary from the bottom where it is shaggy and littered with leaves and drop it into the toter. If not, another day. The garden is patient and will grow whether I tend it or not, as long as there is sufficient water.

Typos are like weeds too, so that makes proofreading another form of weeding. I am grateful that I can come back and edit--but wish I'd just remember to preview first before this goes out to the world!