Today I found many, many more types of organic seeds in the local health food store. I bought even more.
Bush beans (in honor of our recently de-throned prez), peas, lettuce, kale, chamomile, arugula...
On this cool February day, there is no guarantee that I will be here to plant those seeds when it is time. I have nothing to assure me that the necessary growing conditions for a healthy garden will occur this spring and summer.
Still, we buy seeds, we make plans, we say goodbye like there is always a tomorrow.
I like what the Muslims say, "Insha' allah" - God willing. I will plant my seeds this spring, insha'allah. And I will follow through on my commitment to others, but I will only be doing it if it fits with The Plan that is larger than my own.
I'm not saying that I necessarily believe in a "divine plan" or that I do or don't believe in free will. I truly don't know how this whole things works. All I know is that I planned to go to work two weeks ago, but my body had other plans, and a woman on the plane that recently crashed in Buffalo planned to dance with her nephew, but instead, she left this earth.
Just looking at these seeds, I feel a lot of joy. Thinking of how much fun it is to see them pop up through the ground, visualizing the beauty of the plants, and salivating at the thought of the freshly picked vegetables, I've got all of the happiness that I need right now. Everything else that may come along will be gravy, er, vegetables.
Insha' allah, in a few months, I'll be looking at plants instead of seed packets. For now, this will have to do.
Every year I say, "I'm not going to have a garden. In East Texas the only thing that grows is pine trees and prickly-pear cactus."
ReplyDeleteAnd then those glossy seed catalogues start arriving…
You might like to look at SeedSavers.org. They have a free catogue you can send for, or you can just poke around on-line.
I believe that we perceive and accept our on mortality only after we reach a certain level of spiritual maturity. I also believe that attaining that level is very difficult for most Americans—at lest more thorny that for many in other cultures.
ReplyDeleteCarol, to write what you have written and posted today tells me that you have reached that level of understanding and spiritual maturity.
Indigo Incarnates
ReplyDeleteOf course, Ostara is right around the corner, and that's always a good time for planting things. :)
Thomas,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link. I'll check it out.
Prickly pears are pretty good for eating. A local restaurant has prickly pear margaritas or something, too.
Still, human doesn't live by prickly pear alone. I hope that you are able to grow something else to enjoy.
Nick,
ReplyDeleteWell, on better days I'm able to accept the impermanence of it all. Don't know how I'd do on a pop quiz, though.
I agree with you about Americans. We are a death-denying culture. I'm glad that we have been able to have, at our fingertips, the wisdom of many cultures to help us rise above our limitations.
Indigo,
ReplyDeleteI had to look up the date for Ostara this year. That was fun, because I had learned about it before, but forgotten what I'd learned.
Anyway, you are right. Depending on the temps of the soil, I may need to plant some things before Ostara, but I definitely want to aim toward a planting at that time.
Ah ... what hope there is in a single seed.
ReplyDeleteIs there not a saying "People plan, God laughs"?
Hope you are fully recovered now.
x
Dancing,
ReplyDeleteYes! Big hope in itty bitty things! How do they do that???
I hope that God is laughing WITH us! ;-)
And thanks for your kind wishes. I am getting better all the time!
I grew up in the Baptist Church. And in those days, it was a more worshiper-friendly church. IMHO. Anyway, people would add, when they stated their intention to do something: "Good Lord willing and the creeks don't rise." I like that linking of the Lord with the earth. And the humility of realizing things aren't always under our control. But there's an undercurrent of hope too. And I think the hope factor is what this post is about, Carol.
ReplyDeleteSan,
ReplyDeleteI've always loved that saying! I think I first learned it from my ex-husband who's from the South.
Yep! Hope, letting go, and experiencing the joy of right now!