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During this pandemic, I finally did something I've always wanted to do - plant a garden! I'm by no means green-fingered. I've managed to not do well with some indoor plants, but the difference this time is that I have all the time. I'm not rushing anywhere, I'm not stuck in traffic, and I don’t have a hair appointment. I don’t have any of the “extras'' that create “busyness” without us being aware of it. So, I dived into this venture. With some help, I tilled, weeded, and sowed seeds. I planted peppers, tomatoes, spinach, and okra. After a few days of watering the seeds and peeking, I started to see sprouts. Excitement! Some of my plants, despite all of them being planted the same day, sprouted at different times. Perhaps this was due to trial and error on my part, but most probably due to each seed's disposition.
Now, my garden isn't perfect. I probably crowded the seeds in one area more than the other. Some plants have begun to tower above others while others have lots of space to grow and others are crowded around their friends. The one I thought was my spinach appears to be weeds. I haven’t seen my spinach yet. Some get enough water, others are bent from the weight of the hose (sorry), and others may not be getting enough water despite my best efforts, but that is perfectly okay. Each day, when I show up, the plants are there, ready for another day, another adventure.
And that's precisely the premise of this post. We can look at our writing journey the way we see the plants in our garden. It represents your short-term goals, long-term goals, dreams, and desires. Sometimes the journey benefits from our strength and dedication, other times it needs other tactics, and other strategies to thrive. It took me a while to learn that trying, putting in an effort, starting, and then working on what I started should be the focus rather than waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect word, the perfect piece. Now, knowing that there are different seasons in life, I have come to accept that some plans may need to be shelved for now, until the right season shows up. However, it is also critical to recognize the opportunity and the right time to begin to nurture that dream so we don’t miss a particular season. Who is going to show up for your dreams if you don’t? Your dreams, like the seeds you plant, show up every day. But you must do your part to show up to nurture them and, at the right time, you will harvest them. Put in the effort, constantly!