As the seasons shifted from Winter to Spring I found myself paying particular attention to the roses starting to bloom. I normally notice them and then move on, but found myself gazing at them with a longing I had never before experienced.
I have very little interest in gardening, leaving all of it to Jeff, who could happily spend all day out in the yard. It was a bit of a shock for Jeff to hear me asking about roses and wanting to get one. For those of you who know him, he is all about native plants that require little water, fertilizer or attention. He doesn't understand why someone, particularly someone with little time and funding, would grow a plant that you need to pamper and prune.
Normally I completely agree with him (if I'm even paying attention), but I still found myself thinking about the roses.
After church (and a beautiful sermon) Jeff and the kids took me to work where I spent the majority of my Mother's Day. After work my beautiful family picked me up, took me home, and surprised me with homemade cards and a trip outside to the front of the house. There, sitting in the front flower bed was a "Homerun" rose bush. It was the perfect and most unexpected of gifts.
I have decided to take responsibility for this plant's care. What attracts me to it is the parallel between tending plants and raising children. They both require constant work and attention, and the rewards can be beautiful and painful all at once. With the rose and with our children, I hope that when their season arrives, they will produce blooms that reflect the countless hours of care they received. I look forward to caring for and nurturing each bud, seeing it's individual promise and counting each as a beautiful blessing no matter how few or many.
I have very little interest in gardening, leaving all of it to Jeff, who could happily spend all day out in the yard. It was a bit of a shock for Jeff to hear me asking about roses and wanting to get one. For those of you who know him, he is all about native plants that require little water, fertilizer or attention. He doesn't understand why someone, particularly someone with little time and funding, would grow a plant that you need to pamper and prune.
Normally I completely agree with him (if I'm even paying attention), but I still found myself thinking about the roses.
After church (and a beautiful sermon) Jeff and the kids took me to work where I spent the majority of my Mother's Day. After work my beautiful family picked me up, took me home, and surprised me with homemade cards and a trip outside to the front of the house. There, sitting in the front flower bed was a "Homerun" rose bush. It was the perfect and most unexpected of gifts.
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