Unripe for this season is not all there is to it.

At the end of April this year (2020), I decided I cultivate a selection of winter vegetables for lockdown. I normally don't plant anything in winter however, someone I follow on twitter strongly recommended that people get a lockdown garden going. Ordinarily I would have give gardening a break for the winter which I also enjoy.

Off I went to the nursery and got some seeds that included broccoli, garlic, butter beans, baby spinach and onions. I proceeded to get some compost and potting soil to plant my seeds in pots and got my winter project underway.

To my pleasant surprise, the first few weeks were considerably warm as we've grown accustomed to in recent winters. My pots of dirt became something I looked forward to tending to on a daily basis, along with my old plants. Six weeks came and some sprouts of seedlings began to break the surface of the potting soil. It's always exciting to see the beginning of something grow. I am like a child when it comes to such. I will go down on my knees and try to figure out what was in each pot by feeling them between my fingers and tasting the leaves. By this time I'd forgotten what I planted where. The seedlings would have to mature a little more for me to figure out what is what. 

Whilst I waited and anticipated to discover what I planted, to my dismay I came home one afternoon to find birds had helped themselves to my seedlings. 

I've been trying to figure out whether the lesson here is about sticking to what you know, you know what they say about own lane and all that or whether young seeds of life need to be protected. Well, I decided to go with the double pronged view of the situation, You see, I probably know more about gardening in warmer seasons than I do about winter. Furthermore, I think I failed to realise that birds have moved into my yard and how that would impact my plants. Had I known this, perhaps I would have devised means to protect my plants and tend to them a little more given the harsh winter season. 

Similarly, based on the other view on this matter brings us full cycle right back to this point; being that we need to know what is it we are trying to do in life. What is it that we need to pay attention to in order to achieve. We need to know our environment and be conscious of the changes that may or may be taking place. For example, COVID19 brought with it changes in our habits and way of life as we know it. To some it might represent winter. If that's the case, you may need to take a little extra care. You might want to protect emotions, your spirit, your body a little more. 

When winter passes, I will go back to what I know, the plants that will respond to my love and dedication by thriving. Same with you, when this season passes, you'll have a well rested you. You'll have ideas that are ripe for implementation. Perhaps an accomplishment too. If not, that's also okay. You will still have rearranged your thoughts and your beliefs and set the stage for your next move. 

Composting

 "We are all self-composting."
Author: Chuck Palahniuk

Pikitup, the municipal service in my area does not collect garden refuse. If you happen to dump it in your refuse bin, sometimes they leave the rest of your refuse. It is for this reason that whenever we get our grass cut, I would be burdened by the heaps of grass cuttings. My frustrations turned to joy when I discovered the art of composting, i.e using grassing cuttings and vegetable waste from the kitchen to create compost to fertilise the garden. Compost takes about 3 weeks to be ready for use. The process of composting got me thinking about how the soil needs the same grass and vegetables that grew from it, to be fertilised. In order to get the full benefit of the compost, it must fully decompose and loose its form and smell. Sometimes the source of compost does not even have to be from the compost heap, but from the plants themselves. Ever seen how the spinash shoots up each time you prune off the lower leaves? As people, we at times get in the way of our growth and reaching our full potential because we would rather not deal with the heaps of cuttings from our own lives. The cuttings come in the form of frustrating and difficult relationships, unfulfilling careers, past hurts and disappointments. These are guaranteed in one way on the other in the journey of life, however, they don't have to be burden. They can be a source of wisdom, strength and valuable lessons. 

 

Today, being Father's day I learned from my heap of emotions about my own fatherlessness. As such, I did not want to engage in the festivities and celebrations. I had to dig deep into my sadness and found I felt sad because when I marry, my dad will never walk me down the isle, my children will never know him, I will never be able to call him and ask for advise. I will never feel safe because he is there for me. On further reflection, I realised that my father's passing gave me an opportunity to seek wholeness and fulfillment from my relationship with God. It has made me a compassionate mom and friend. I appreciate that it has certainly made me a strong woman. My fatherlesslessness has been the greatest source of pain and emptiness but also the place I have found the best versions of me.