A Little of This and That

Several days ago, as I was planting some sweet peppers, I thought about how good it felt to have my hands in the dirt. I thought how comforting it was to physically connect with the earth. While I was planting the peppers, I was also thinking about other vegetables I want to plant in my garden and the strawberry plants that were waiting for me in my kitchen sink.

It reminded me of other gardens I’d planted over the years. Gardens that produced food for my family. Food that I also shared with other people.

There’s just something about putting plants and seeds in the ground that makes a person feel whole and complete.

Yesterday, Sunday, we had a family dinner to celebrate my husband’s 85th birthday. It was a beautiful day, filled with family, good friends, good food and lots of laughter and visiting. Watching the grandchildren as they ran and laughed and played in the yard brought smiles to everyone.

Pictures were taken, of course, to be shared later on with others. And many new memories were added for everyone to recall and smile about in days and years to come.

Walking through my yard over the weekend, I took note of many things that needed to be done - clean out the bed of ferns, spruce up flower gardens, make repairs and add new things to my meditation area.

All the while, I was also thinking how blessed I was to be able to do many of these things on my own once again. I was feeling grateful I’ve been able to put my walker in storage and be able to do so much more than I could for a long while.

There are still many things I can’t do yet [like] sweep the kitchen floor, change the bedding [or] vacuum the carpet. And I’m still restricted on the amount I can lift and how far I can bend. But that is all overshadowed by what I can do.

One of the good things that has happened over the past few months is the fact I can once again really taste food. And that I now actually get hungry.

It doesn’t sound like much but when you haven’t been able to enjoy eating or to walk without a walker or so much as not being able to take pleasure in going for a walk, it’s a big deal. And it’s something else - progress.

Life keeps moving on, bringing with it beauty, blessings, love, smiles, memories, laughter and more. I intend to keep moving with it. Hope you do, too.