Keep It Up, Moms!

I love gardening metaphors. They really help us understand some of the challenges we face as parents. You know...our home is the garden; we are the gardeners tending it; the fruit coming out of the garden is our children; the fertilizer is..well, you can't take metaphors too far. I'll have to think on that one.

But thinking about this comparison, I realize that it is hard work to have a successful garden. It takes daily effort to produce a beautiful, healthy bounty.

And think about the gardeners (that's us parents). They weed, hoe, water, fertilize, prune. Sometimes our backs hurt from bending over. We get dirt under our fingernails and thorns in our hands.

With all this work, we would like to see a little encouraging results. Yet that takes time.

Do you see where I'm going with this? Parents have a lifetime of work to bring up their children. Children need our continuous devotion in order to thrive. If you are a parent, you automatically are given this role of gardener.

And it is easy to spot other "gardeners" around us. They have those telltale signs of sun on their faces, dirty hands...diaper bags on their shoulders, spit-up on their sleeves. We can knowingly pass each other and "get" their struggles.

Feeling weary? I am here to tell you that it is so worth it. Keep it up. As a fellow "gardener" whose plantings have almost fully matured (my youngest of four is now 18), I can tell you it is worth the work. It is worth the daily weeding, the late-night conversations, the driving around the city to find that perfect dress for the formal dance.

I can see you as you go by, and I know how you are feeling. But I tip my gardening hat to you, moms. Keep it up. You are producing a bountiful crop, and you will enjoy the blessings that come with it!