I came across a quote a few days ago that was simple and true.
"remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care that they get." h. jackson brown jr.
just like flower gardens and gardens of all kinds, the most important relationships in our lives, our marriages and those with our children, reflect the care that is put in. Just as if you over water your seeds, what results is muddiness and smothering, your flowers unable to stand tall. If you neglect your dear plants, they shrivel up. It takes a delicate balance and patience and trial and error to see how much care is needed. One does not simple just know. These things require work....they require balance...they require love.
As a mother and wife I know what it means to have to work everyday to keep my garden flourishing. There are days that I may be too harshly, leaving me feeling guilty and broken. Whereas there are other days that I seem to get the recipe just right. Those days end in laughs before bedtime and sweet memories being made. They reaffirm my ability to mother well and to be a good wife...they are not everyday moments, but when they do indeed happen they remind me of how blessed I am.
All in all, what I most take away from this quote is that nurturing is the most important. Tending - though not easy nor without its frustrations, is the constant that we need present with our babies and our partners.
some food for thought.
I took a Marriage and Family Relations class this spring, and the project we had to do for it was successfully grow a seed, and then write a paper giving four things we learned about nurturing marriage by nurturing our plants. Seems pretty fitting for this post! :)
ReplyDeletethis is so well said. Thanks for this!
ReplyDeleteAlycia//Crazily Normal
Beautiful text, Joanna!
ReplyDelete