July 19, 2009
An Analogy
Coming in from a walk this morning I thought of something, something about our children, that was freeing. This thought developed when I walked by a patch of zinnias I had planted late in the season, much too late to enjoy, I thought. I had scattered a few cherished seeds left over from the big spring planting along a small bit of my garden fence. I planted them in a straight line along the fence, imaging they would germinate and grow all within a given time and then bloom in that straight line I had intended. And ultimately, I would cut them and put them in a vase in my kitchen to enjoy. Well, as the days passed, only a few actually germinated and they were never in a straight line – the environment had had its hand in their development; the birds carried some off for a picnic, the wind blew many away, and the rains came and gently washed some away, all things out of my jurisdiction. Soon, I had little hope that my tiny zinnia patch, my midsummer burst of color and joy, would bloom and grow as I had planned; I was disappointed. Today, this morning, suddenly, without warning, I noticed them and they were all grown up and beautiful. They were not in the neat little row I had planted them in and there were big and small spaces between them but they were beautiful and purposeful and most importantly, unique and happy there, reaching for the sun and bringing gladness.
I thought of how we manage our children perfectly (somewhat) and they begin to grow and develop but sometimes, many times, it is not as we planned and in some cases we think maybe they will never “get there” and then one day we look at them and realize they did get there; they got to their place, the place they need to be in and they did it in a rhythm and in a time frame that is theirs and most importantly, they are unique and happy there. No matter how carefully we read the instructions and how carefully we plan, Nature will prevail and will do things her way; that is the thought I find so freeing and refreshing. Anyway, sometimes this afternoon, I will be able to cut a beautiful bunch of zinnias for my kitchen, a bunch that has taken awhile, for it is late July, trailing behind the ones of early June, but a bunch that is unique and just as lovely and will bring as much joy as the ones of early summer.
p.s.
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