Weeding

Now that I know "someone" (you know who you are... haha) actually reads my blog, I thought I'd like to keep it up better... So....

Unlike Kris, I really enjoy yard work.  I love weeding, and planting, and making things look nice outside.  Last year, being a new, and very tired mom, I didn't get much of a chance to get some flowers out.  The most I got up to was buying a hanging basket that was 50% off in July - hanging baskets are 50% off in July for a reason.  I didn't really water it much.  Within about a week, it was just a basket of brittle leaves and vines.  Totally brown and crunchy.  With a tiny little bit of green trying so hard to grow (it was like the plant's tiny little protest against the lack of care it was getting - "I'll show you!").  Kris' mom stopped by one day, and noted that she thought my flowers needed some water.  They were completely dead at this point.  I thought it was cute that she was trying to be nice, when clearly I did NOT take care of them, and clearly, it was one step PAST being dead.  :)

Anyways, I was excited to get a few pots out this year.  And just generally put more effort in to the yard.  So before Kris mowed the lawn, I got out there with my dandelion puller.  I just LOVE pulling dandelions.  I think it's just so much fun to spot one of those little pricks, and then just yank it out by the root.  It's exhilerating AND satisfying.  Plus, I like to get them before they turn to fluff and disperse their evil little seed all over my front yard.  As I indulged myself in dandelion revenge, I started thinking about things.  I often think deep while I do things like dishes, and vacuuming, and apparently, while I do yard work, too.

It just reminds me a lot of life.  We need to weed the bad stuff out.  And the same principles apply:  

• You have to get at the root, or it will just grow back.  You can just pull the leaves off, but that's only temporary.  
  
• You have to get at it before it multiples.  The more you leave your weeds (bitterness, anger, etc.), they just grow and manifest themselves more and more.
• The more you keep on top of it, the less you have to do as time goes on.    
• Your yard looks way nicer when you're done!

I asked myself as I was weeding, "why do I care so much more about the front yard"?  (I only get to the back yard if I realllly feel like it.)  We spend most of the time in the back, so that SHOULD matter more... but I realized it's because people SEE the front.  I care what my neighbours, my guests, and even just people driving by think of me.  So even though I should think about the back yard, because that is where I enjoy more of my time, I put more effort into the "facade" of looking like I'm together.  Oh dear.  So I should really be focusing on "weeding" the inside of me, the part that I really enjoy and that affects my life.  Instead, I put more effort into just looking "together".  God forbid someone see the back yard...  So I realized, that I need to spend more time weeding out the things in me that aren't healthy, and that don't make me feel good about who I am.  And doing it for ME, and not because another human will think better of me for it.  And one day, the back AND the front will both look great.  And if someone got a glimpse of the back, that would be okay.  I wouldn't feel like I have something to hide.  That is what I am striving for.

That is what dandelions taught me about life.