Throughout the spring and summer I worked in the garden often with a sense of impatience and frustration. I had a vision of beauty. A vision of borders brimming with flowers, of perfectly made raised beds filled with luscious veg, of roses climbing over pergolas, of a pond teeming with life.
Needless to say, working towards something with a sense of frustration and impatience wasn’t very joyful. In fact, it was stressful.
Until one day I looked at the garden and realised, it will never look like this again. It will never again look as it does right now in this moment, on this day, in this year. With every small, seemingly insignificant change I make, I’m altering the face of this garden and of this place, perhaps forever.
A wave of sadness tumbled over me. In being impatient for my vision of perfection, I was missing the perfection of how it already appeared. The perfection of the garden just as it is.
Isn’t the same often true of ourselves and our lives? Aren’t we often impatient to change and grow and advance away from what we perceive as our flaws and faults, towards a vision we hold for ourselves and our lives as more beautiful?
There’s nothing wrong with a desire to grow. This is natural and wonderful. But it is far more joyful to do the work of growth whilst accepting and loving the messy perfection of ourselves just as we are.
Love and courage,
Leah
So true! 🙂 I realized this year that my garden is always changing, it will never be “done.” Just like each of us, I think.
Oh yes, I love that Bonnie, thank you, we will never be ‘done’! What a relief 🙂