Lessons from the garden: Gratitude

Now that I am in a season of being able to harvest some of the fruits of my garden, she is teaching me yet another, beautiful lesson.

I don’t think I will ever look at produce the same way again. As I walk the produce aisle or through the farmers market, I am humbled. When I hold a bunch of grapes, a giant cabbage, a vine of tomatoes, a basket of apples, I think to myself and ask them ‘Where did you come from, my dears? Who grew you? What stories do you have to tell?’ These fruits, like my fruits, have been brought to pass by a labour of love. Someone, like me, planted them. Someone, like me, watered them. They tended them, supported them and when the time came, harvested them. Someone cared enough to take the time and effort to grow these vegetables.

Do we look at it that way?

Often, we walk into the store with our shopping list in hand; throwing whatever it is that we want, that we need into our carts and head out on our way, not stopping to think for a second about, well, anything.

Carrots. Check. Apples. Check. Rutabaga. Check. Diapers. Check. Next stop is the gas station, then the thrift store, staples and then home.

Do you know how long I have been waiting to harvest my carrots? My rutabagas? Do you know how often I gently dust away the dirt at the tops just to see how they are coming along?

It takes me 5 minutes to buy 2 lbs of carrots and a rutabaga yet is takes me MONTHS to grow them.

And this, my friends, is where my sweet garden has taught me yet another lesson. I am so grateful for the ability to grow. Buying produce has taught me nothing and growing produce has taught me everything. I have totally taken for granted the work, love and effort that goes into each and every ear of corn, bunch of beets and basket of peaches. It is not magic – they do not appear on the grocery shelves out of nowhere. They are brought to pass through months of labour and love.

I will never look at produce the same way again.