I came across this image via pinterest a few days ago. It really made me question what I wanted in my garden & what I was doing to make those things grow? Everyone knows that in order to grow a garden you must work hard and pray for sunshine. I thought of all the things I needed to weed out of my garden (unhealthy relationships, negative thoughts, etc.)
In my school garden, I must treat it with a special work ethic. Everyday, I must put on my sunhat and garden gloves. I must get down on my knees and feel the dirt. I have to nurture those gentle flowers and show them love. Each flower, needs a different amount of shade or sunlight and I must differentiate their needs. I must be the sunshine and the water. Sometimes, those flowers have poor roots and just need a little smile or a gentle " I love you." They need a little extra love to catch up with the other flowers. I read a blog by my friend Amanda that brought tears to my eyes. She said that teaching is a service that can be defined as kindness. I must treat my garden with kindness. If I neglect my garden, weeds will grow and flowers will dies. It is very important that I show up and be there for my garden!
In my garden of relationships ,( the garden that grows deep inside my heart) I must let in sunshine and make sure that it gets watered adequately. In this special garden, I must chase away the crows and pull up all the weeds. I must focus on the things that will make my garden grow. Peace, love, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self control. My friend, Alyssa, told me that pretty flowers don't hang with crows. Also, she shared a special podcast with me this week. It really made me think about the kind of person that I wanted to be. It always seems as if I am looking for the right person. Instead, I should be focusing on becoming the right person. Be the kind of person that you would want to date. I need to spend some TLC in my garden, nurturing my garden, watering the flowers, and allowing sunshine into my life. Sometimes, I think my picket fence is so high that I do not allow any sunshine to come into my garden. I need to let down some fence post and let in some sunshine.
This week, I am asking myself - What do I need to do to make my gardens grow? I am going to spend time working in my garden so that my life can be beautiful.
xo, ali