Monday, May 23, 2011

The Summer of Expectation

It starts about January with the anticipated arrival of seed catalogs in my icy mailbox.  For as long as I can remember, I've enjoyed gardening.  My love began with my Dad and Granny as a young girl, and something about the emergence of life from a simple seed that "I" planted always fascinated me.

When my son was a toddler he would go missing in my garden.  Later I would find him with tomato seeds and pulp all over his chubby cheeks and T shirt. Green or red, he ate them all.  He enjoyed planting too, but mainly eating was his main objective.

Last summer, something changed.  We had recently moved to a new house with a huge yard from an apartment with a balcony.  A great growth in our cultivating space, and since I hadn't planted a garden in five years we both were excited.  He became obsessed with our garden, reading vlogs, articles, books, almanacs, etc to learn about different techniques. Make no mistake, he is not the bookworm type.  School is a struggle, but he has definitely found his niche.

                                                                      Summer 2010


This year we are a little late getting started, but the expectation of this garden has grown since that first catalog arrival in January.  He is a sixteen year old boy, which often correlates into this mother feeling misunderstood, unappreciated, and often unloved.  I'm sure he is equally frustrated with me, so the  undertaking of this garden is more than simply growing vegetables.  Its growing our relationship.  His step dad helped him build a cold frame to start seedlings, and again it wasn't all about the plants.  It was nurturing the seed of acceptance and trust.


So the summer promises to be full of work and compromise.  This garden isn't made with rows like my Granny used to make, but is more unconventional designed by the creative mind of a teenager.  I possess the expectation that we will grow closer, and he will find satisfaction in a job well done.  We may experience a hail storm, or flood, or horde of grasshoppers, but right now, right now at this very moment I have hope of tremendous success.  Its the same hopeful expectation I feel as I anticipate the initial sprout of the seedling pushing through the earth and reaching for light.



18 comments:

  1. What wonderful expectations!!!
    "Growing our relationship" ~ That in and of it's self is something to look forward to. Many blessings to all of you : )

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  2. How exciting! What a wonderful way to make a family bond and traditions, too.

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  3. What a wonderful post!

    "Its the same hopeful expectation I feel as I anticipate the initial sprout of the seedling pushing through the earth and reaching for light." I love that sentence!

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  4. How wonderful and amazing that this garden is nurturing your relationship with your son. I think it is great that he has taken such an interest in it and I hope you keep us posted and updated with pictures. Good luck and happy gardening!

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  5. Beautiful blog! I love what you said about your son and your relationship with him. Everything appears to be blooming!

    The pictures too are wonderful!

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  6. Great write and Great photos!! Love it!

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  7. Popping back in to give you this award: http://www.word-nerd-speaks.com/2011/05/heather-is-very-kind-and-patient-woman.html

    :O)

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  8. Oh I love it. Growing a Garden and Growing a Relationship. Isn't it wonderful how the two go hand in hand. My little 5 year old started with me and the garden thing last year. He had to have Pumpkins. So we planted seeds and watered. He went out and looked the next day and came in crying...there were no pumpkins. I had to explain that it takes time to grow. He understands so much better this year and is out there helping me each day!!

    Love your post!! Thanks for sharing. It made me smile :)

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  9. Beautiful blog. I love the way you tied in nurturing your garden with nurturing your relationship with your son.

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  10. I think it's awesome that gardening is bringing you and your son closer together. I have a teenage son too so I know those feelings of being unloved and misunderstood all too well.

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  11. This is a beautiful post! What a wonderful way to build a relationship. Hearts in Fur Coats

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  12. This is a beautiful post. I love how you interwove the expectations you have for your garden and your relationship with your son blossoming as the season progresses. It looks like you are off to a great start!!

    Kathy
    http://www.thetruckerswife.com/

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  13. LOVED THIS..read your first paragraph and BEEP had to click on FOLLOW...ghost writing is FUN

    Thank you for sharing your passion

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  14. That was beautiful. Growing a garden is all about nurturing and it sounds like the three of you are nurturing each other. =) Be sure to post a picture of your success!

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  15. Great blog Jana. I've always had the impression that you and your son had a great relationship, from your other writings; now I understand why.

    PS: I still want my Challenger back :)

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  16. What a wonderful way to build up and nurture your relationship with your son! Thank you for sharing the photos as well. :)

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  17. I'm glad you both are enjoying it! :-) My mom used to keep a garden when I was very little and I had to be cajoled, pleaded with, and finally threatened into helping. lol!

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  18. Really nice blog, well put together. Nice job!!!

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