As I work in the garden, I take my time and the garden is teaching me about working with the earth. I recognize that there will be both successes and failures and there are many variables that affect them both.
The quality of the seeds planted has a bearing on how well the plants will grow. But the weather affects that most. It can be too hot, too cold, or exactly right, and usually fluctuates (起伏) between all three. Weeds seem to grow well in the garden and need to be taken care of and pulled to ensure they do not destroy the fruits, vegetables, and flowers we have so lovingly planted.
I take time to stand back and rest, and to observe the plants and how they are growing. Each plant is unique and develops in the way that is best for them. Some have large broad leaves to protect their fruit from the harsh rays of the sun, while other plants are more open, their fruit needing the light to grow and ripen.
Getting my hands dirty, feeling the sweat on my brow, and the strength and flexibility of my body as I dig, bend and work under the warm summer sun, reminds me I am alive in ways I would not have remembered sitting on the couch.
It is very inspiring to move things around, to transplant, and to disturb the natural order of how plants grow. The garden teaches me that it is important to know when to disturb things and when to let them be. The garden's life cycle follows a pattern that is repeated according to laws of nature, birth, and growth, and then dies and it teaches us to accept this fact.
Perhaps life is like the garden, successes and failures, time to be active and time to rest, to let go of what is no longer needed, to cultivate (培养) what helps us to grow into our light and power, and to embrace life from beginning to end.
