Love Thy Labor
There is something special and deeply satisfying about devoting a entire day or weekend to outdoor labor. I am fortunate to belong to a family that shares land, a vegetable garden, as well as various fruiting trees. My favorite part of visiting home is helping care for the living things my family benefits from--whether it be by mowing the grass, tilling soil, or watering hundreds of growing plants.
I am also fortunate to live in a place in New Zealand that has a terraced yard, with plenty of space for a small vegetable garden and barbecue pit. There, Roland and I spend summer days weeding, planting, watering, mowing and cooking. We also like to nap on a blanket shaded by the Miramar foliage--we fall asleep to the song of the Tui.
There have been times in my adult life where I have been separated from the land--times I spent in mega cities, times spent living in apartments. Although grateful for the experience, and extremely happy just to have a roof over my head, I was never fully satisfied in those situations. Walks in the local park were nice, but something was missing. I wasn't able to have a relationship with the land. I couldn't plunge my fingers into the deep, dark soil and plant things that I enjoy. In the case of the overcrowded parks in China, I couldn't even snooze in the grass without getting hassled by guards.
I have worked many jobs. I have created many things. Yet nothing is quite so satisfying as laboring in the yard. With fall here, a new garden will grow. One that I helped nurture; one that I know will feed my family well after I leave.
I am also fortunate to live in a place in New Zealand that has a terraced yard, with plenty of space for a small vegetable garden and barbecue pit. There, Roland and I spend summer days weeding, planting, watering, mowing and cooking. We also like to nap on a blanket shaded by the Miramar foliage--we fall asleep to the song of the Tui.
There have been times in my adult life where I have been separated from the land--times I spent in mega cities, times spent living in apartments. Although grateful for the experience, and extremely happy just to have a roof over my head, I was never fully satisfied in those situations. Walks in the local park were nice, but something was missing. I wasn't able to have a relationship with the land. I couldn't plunge my fingers into the deep, dark soil and plant things that I enjoy. In the case of the overcrowded parks in China, I couldn't even snooze in the grass without getting hassled by guards.
I have worked many jobs. I have created many things. Yet nothing is quite so satisfying as laboring in the yard. With fall here, a new garden will grow. One that I helped nurture; one that I know will feed my family well after I leave.