A Joyous Perspective on Finding Yourself by Losing Yourself: In the Garden.

It's Friday, and time for another Friday Night Thought Tale Hour with the Hendersons. Those of you who have known or followed me for a while are aware that I adore my garden. It has been a place where I can always find solace and pure joy. Even in the weeding and pest invasions. I recently found a little gem of a book called, "12 Lessons on Life I Learned from my Garden: Spiritual Guidance from the Vegetable Patch" by Vivian Elisabeth Glyck (order from Amazon). It inspired me to do some musing on what I've learned about growth and growing from my time in the garden. Not surprisingly, the gardening and farming experiences provided a harvest (pardon the pun) of allegorical references to some vital considerations we should make if we want to be most successful in our plans to grow. 

Like most projects in life, if you fail to plot a course, you find yourself wandering aimlessly. 

I bet you thought I would say you'll fail if you don't plan, right? Well, a project that involves growing in some fashion is not ever a failure in the most real sense of the word. Any venture into growth produces something inside of ourselves. The results may not be the outcome of what you envisioned, but they will have a lifespan until you pull them out. But when it's a productive growing project you desire, it pays off to take some time to plan out how you are going to fill up this space in your life with something you can build upon; something that will be sustainable and viable in your life.

Because time is a valuable commodity, especially while we are attempting to grow.

Here's a secret I'll share with you tonight. Every year, when I survey my garden spot and make my plan for what I intend to produce, a small thought comes into my mind...

I may not see the full fruits of my efforts. 

It's not fear, just a reality, and a reminder. Even with that fact of being a mortal human in mind, I still jump into the process of growing. But with each passing year, I do attempt to maximize my efforts and minimize my blood, sweat, and tears. With that thought, here's a short list of my best lessons learned from my garden and how they apply to grow in every area of my life:

• Just because there's a big space for growth, it doesn't mean you should fill it up.
• Pace yourself. What seems like a small amount of seed can grow into a jungle. Sustained care produces the highest quality of growth.
• Consider the placement of your plantings.
• All types of growth are not equal. Timing, the energy required and spacing must be part of the decision to begin. Try not to bunch things together, or you'll get cross-pollination, which might be interesting, but more often it's a watermelon that tastes like an onion.
• Some growth is best from the seeds, but others produce best from established plants.
• The creative process can start with some beautiful ideas for growth. But other times, the wheel has already been invented, so why not follow a tried and tested method? Save yourself the risks of germination whenever possible.
• If you don't thin out the plants, you will not get small production.
• When it all looks so good, and your life is so full of growth, it's easy to forget that you are not giving the total capacity to everything. Cutting back gives you more energy to see more significant opportunity for growth.
• Gardens require tending. They need weeding, staking, and protection from pests.
• Growth needs to be guided and valued. If you wish it to be noticeable in your life, it will require attention. Watch out especially for the 'pests' of life: Procrastination, fatigue, malaise, cynicism... Crush those quickly and firmly.

All growth is good, but the growth you see from your efforts is especially sweet.

Remember to celebrate it when you see it. Go ahead, crow a little. But most importantly, pass along what you've learned to those around you who are eager to duplicate. It's like sharing your cuttings or seedlings. A little of your growth is now a part of another's. 

Awesome.

So tonight, we are toasting to growth and our soon to be fully planted garden. I found something called "Midori Sunshine." It's mostly green, which is the color of growth when it's been touched by the goodness of light. May all of your efforts to grow end with the warmth of a smile. Cheers, Friends.

Joy's Midori Sunshine **
3 oz of Tito's Vodka (or Silver Tequila)
3 oz Midori melon liqueur
1.5 oz of  orange juice
1.5 oz of pineapple juice
A drizzle of Grenadine
One splash of Sprite
lime, cherry, orange for garnish.

Shake well with ice and pour into a hurricane glass. Vary sprite to taste. Garnish with a lime wedge, a cherry, a slice of orange, and serve.

**Always drink responsibly.