"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Gardening is something I truly enjoy. Time spent digging in the dirt, pondering the possibilities, analyzing (and sometimes eating) the results, battling weeds, and dreaming of the next season, is never wasted. It is also a time when I might engage in some personal interior pruning, harvesting, and re-positioning, time for my mind to wander deep into thought about various topics.
In my mind, I have been debating with myself about what to write about in this next entry and looking for inspiration for several weeks, feeling inexplicably guilty for not producing anything. On summer break, you would think it would be easy for me to find time to sit down and crank out something! Watching the growth of my tomatoes this summer has made me think about my own progress as a writer and a thinker. It takes time and care for those delicate yellow flowers to morph into gorgeous red globes. To a casual observer, it might seem that little is happening during the actual day-to-day process but to one invested in that process, the end result is deeply appreciated. For me, writing at this stage of my life seems to follow a similar pattern. The thoughts churn around in the back of my mind, often pushed aside by other necessary obligations. Eventually, they coalesce into something of substance that pushes back and demands to be expressed, not unlike a seedling bursting up out of the soil. I am learning to show myself the same patience and care that I show the vegetables and flowers in my garden. With so many demands on my time, and a new school year beginning soon, I am granting myself permission (without guilt) to take the time to continue to nuture my own soul and creativity.
