Each week Ruth Ayres extends an invitation to share our celebrations.
Every stage of parenting is different; every stage of parenting is hard. My current stage is parenting young adults.
They are independent, which is our goal as parents. But with independence, comes the tedious balance of his disregard of my wishes and my acceptance of his. I try hard to accept that.
Last night he tried a little harder.
And today I celebrate.
As a wife, a mother, and a teacher, I plant seeds.
I am a gardener of love, life and learning.
I am a gardener of love, life and learning.
I pray those seeds firmly take root and grow into something beautiful, and allow me to reap what I sow.
Last night I reaped.
And today I celebrate.
Three years ago I wrote a similar post about my son making good decisions, and today I celebrate some of those words again.
The Gardener
Tilling the ground
Preparing the soil
Planting the seed
Watching it grow
Blooming...into a young adult
I am the proud gardener
©2014 Leigh Anne Eck
Great celebration! Keep savoring the feeling.
ReplyDeleteThat must be an amazing feeling. Love the poem!!
ReplyDeleteParenting is like gardening, there are seasons. Only sometimes they lie one on top of the other, so we are planting, watering, and reaping all at the same time. Perhaps more like a garden near the equator than a garden north of the 45th. I'm blessed to also have the layer of grandparenting in my garden. Hmmm... I feel the makings of a post in this comment. :) Keep tending your garden!
ReplyDeleteI am working on a grandparent post myself - trying to decide if it is this week's Poetry Friday or to save it for the Slice of Life March Challenge.
DeleteParenting is wonderful and stressful. The worry for someone that means so much can be overwhelming. Congratulations on your gardening success -- for believing in those seeds and for cultivating patience.
ReplyDeleteOh Leigh Anne you are a poet, and I love the metaphor as a gardener! Beauty and creation! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteA few years ago, one of my mother's colleagues said, "oh, I wish my daughter and I had the kind of relationship that you and your daughter have! All we seem to do is fight, and you and your daughter seem to get along so well!" My mother asked how old the woman's daughter was, and just burst out laughing when the woman said that her daughter was 16. When I was a teenager my mother and I couldn't be in the same room together without getting into an argument, and now we love spending time together! Adolescence can be hard on everybody, but it's a stage, and all stages pass. :-)
ReplyDeleteLove the celebration, Leigh Anne. You didn't mention patience, but it is a trait that parents and teachers need, and it seems that you have mastered it beautifully.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful analogy, Leigh Anne. Just like gardening, there are seasons to our parenting life too. It is all layered. Glad you got time to reap the bounty of your hard work & wishing you more to harvest.
ReplyDeleteIt is a pleasure to watch them bloom into young adults. So glad you're celebrating the results of your efforts. And I'm looking forward to that grandparent post coming up soon. Happy weekend!
ReplyDeleteLeigh Anne, as a proud gardener, continue to till your soil so your blossoms bloom bright each day. I am sure that your classrooms blooms are smiling under your guidance.
ReplyDeleteBravo to you, proud gardener. Our kids are all out of the house, and yet my husband and I continue to harvest...we are all blessed!
ReplyDeleteKids never stop being your kids, even when they have to make decisions for themselves. It is a proud moment for sure when you see the glowing flower of your own sowing.
ReplyDeleteHeart-moving.
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