it's a lot like life

I've been spending a lot of time in the garden again, trying to get various jobs done before the long awaited promised days of heavy rain reach us.

It has been tough work - my hands and arms are scratched; my calves are impersonating the monster in the Grandpa Toad book in terms of spots below the knees, only from mozzie bites rather than hurled berries (getting eaten instead of being about to eat...!); I've got a cracking bruise on my shin from where the loaded wheelbarrow toppled over and I'm being given a daily lesson in physical anatomy as various muscles tell me in no uncertain terms exactly where they are. However another corner of the garden is being reclaimed from the wilderness and Operation Obliterate continues to advance against the tide of convolulous that threatens to submerge the garden under a sea of green and purple (at least it is pretty, even if it is invasive!).

I found myself pondering again on the similarities between gardening and dealing with life - clearing out the deadwood, the things that smother and hinder growth in order to make postive steps towards being fruitful and productive. Sometimes you need to dig deep to remove the remains of what has been there before before you can move on as they are too hazardous to safety (and sanity!) or too restricting to leave in place, but some things can just be left to lie. What has gone before leaves it's mark, it's imprint on the soil, whether it has stripped it bare of nutrients or added food for future endeavours, broken up hard packed soil ready for a less hardy crop or leaves behind seeds or roots that enable things to grow back sometimes when and where you no longer expect and/or want them...

There are the thorny issues that need grappled with - yet sometimes the thorns are on the same plant as the sweetest fruit. Some things need pruned to grow back stronger (vines both figurative and literal!), when you have a lot on your plate you can't expect to keep on top of it all at once and sometimes you just have to let certain areas go until you have time and energy to deal with them, for everything there is a time and season... and so the analogies go on, and on, and on. As with gardening really, you never get to the end of it.