I had a beautiful beginning garden in May. I tended it everyday, morning and night, looking forward to my months-long reward for all this hard work. Coneflowers, lilies, zinnias and gallardia - green beans, okra, squash and canteloupe. And our yard - Keven had it looking like a golf course! Then THE summer of 2011 hit OK ... hottest summer on record, most number of days of 100+ temps. And the rain - where did it go once summer arrived?
Well, by the beginning of July, I was physically suffering - the heat was taking its toll on my not-too-healthy-to-begin-with body. I was really aching by the end of the day, with the very warm mornings of gardening and watering chores (you would think those darn weeds would die with everything else from lack of water and excessive heat - ha!), followed by a day at work. By evening, I was pushing myself to get more watering in, feed the thirsty and hungry animals that frequent our yard (ok - the lack of mosquitos this year has been a blessing, though not for the animals that depend on bugs for their sustenance). Getting into bed every night, I hurt and I hurt BAD - could not stitch or read, could not visit with my friends, could not go to sleep (much less stay asleep when I was finally able to drift off). And then it would start all over the next day. And the weekends - those were CATCH UP watering and weeding days! But I was intent on having those fresh-cut flowers for my tables and fresh veggies for our summer meals. And Keven - well, our grass was still nice thanks to his hard work.
So now, back to those four wonderful words. I was reading the book from clutter to clarity - simplifying life from the inside out by Nancy Twigg (which I highly recommend to all you overachieving, stressed out, "quiet time is wasted time" kindred spirits out there). Ms. Twigg challenges the reader - Tend Your
Own Garden. And my response, "I am trying - I have all this stuff I want to be doing, but this gardening is taking up all my time and energy and strength and stamina this year. I can't quilt. I can't go out with friends. I can't even do my nightly reading. I am physically spent." Blah, blah.
But then, her point hits me. I have to take care of myself first - nobody else is responsible for doing that. I was trying to best Nature itself and was losing the battle - not just the flower and vegetable garden battle, but the battle to keep myself healthy for the other important things in my life (afterall, it is just this one rare summer, right?). I had to stop tending my garden to tend MY garden.
And I stopped - and the flower and vegetable gardens (and eventually the grass - even Keven has his heat limits) died - no more watering and weeding needed. I started feeling better, and then even BETTER - and I had energy to read some wonderful spiritual and educational books, and I did MORE quilting and other stitching in the last 2 months than in the last 2 years, and had energy to go places with Keven and friends, and I started sleeping again. Crazy, huh?
Well, I think Ms. Twigg and her book saved my summer (and much more). I realize now that paring down the material things (not fabric material, mind you!) and eliminating some of the excessive tasks on our to-do lists every day is NOT the end-all-be-all solution to simplifying your life - the solution starts by simplifying the clutter in the mind and soul of all the "wants" and "shoulds" that seem to take over our lives.
Oh, did I mention? Our cactus garden did VERY GOOD this year!!!!
Well - I did get on a bandwagon, didn't I? I promise my blogs won't be this wordy all the time - because that is simply not simple, is it? Ha!
Blessings - and don't forget to TEND YOUR OWN GARDEN.
Kat
Wonderful! Thanks for reminding me that no one is going to take care of my inner self but me. Now I just have to remember it! haha
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