I’ve never been a big fan of yard work. I don’t love the summer heat and humidity here in the northeast and so growing up and into my adulthood, I saw yard work as a least liked chores. When B and I left Philly, we purposely sought out a house with a small yard so that we would have minimal work to do in the yard. The day we took possession of the house we started tearing out all the shrubs and trees in the backyard.
This year when we started planning projects in the yard, we initially planned on finishing the patio area and that was all. It wasn’t until after we started building the pond that our list of projects multiplied and while B and I worked on most of our yard projects together, it’s been me that has tended to the plants and maintenance.
This year something has changed in how I see our yard projects. I have actually started to enjoy the time outside in the garden tending to my plants and caring for the fish that live in our pond.
Watching the plants sprout up out of the ground, grow and bloom has been so rewarding. The time away from screens and devices has allowed my mind to rest and getting outside has allowed me to get more physical activity in my day without feeling like I’m putting a lot of effort into it.
Caring for our plants and the fish, seeing everything thrive and then relaxing on the patio looking around at all the beauty we have created in our small yard has brought me some peace and calm; a diversion from all life’s stresses. Time in the garden has allowed me to slow down and be in the moment and I’m beginning to realize that finding a love for working in the yard this year may have been what God knew I’d need in my life during the current phase I’m in.
Whatever phase of life you are in, I hope that you too have something that brings you peace, allows you to reset and reflect and divert your mind for a while. We all need things in our lives to keep us balanced and spending time in the yard has definitely become mine.
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