I was pulling weeds in my lawn this morning, trying to grow new seed in an area that was ripped up during our Homestead move by the moving truck. We were so lucky to relocate during the weekend of Hurricane Sandy, and our poor lawn lost the war from the squish factor of mud.
Anyway, as I was weeding, my mind wandered to the past. As a kid I remember living in my suburban neighborhood, where the resident fathers loved to play a quiet competition.
It's a popular game, widely played among Suburbanites, called "My Lawn is Better Than Yours". I remember the whir of lawn mowers on Saturday, background noise as we played hide and go seek with friends. I remember my dad using colorful metaphors toward the weed trimmer, running out of line in the middle of a job. I remember the large tanker trucks rolling in during the week; with the men looking like the Ghostbusters wearing their packs and spraying something that smelled funny on neighborhood lawns. I remember the visible signs "Keep off the Grass", and the cranky old neighbor up the street who would yell at us if by chance our ball bounced on his perfect blades.
Funny, as I pull weeds here on the Homestead, I have a new appreciation for weeds. As much as they annoy me in my newly seeded grass patch, I actually have many uses for these little annoyances. The positivity of weeds? It keeps me moving, active, and the exercise is helping me drop a few pounds. My worms are very happy, and my compost pile is growing with abundance. The gardens will appreciate the compost, and my belly will be satisfied from all the edible bounty my garden produces. Most of all, I love watching my thirteen chickens get excited when I bring them weeds, a snack only chickens can love!
As metaphor for life, how can we use our "weedy" experiences that spring up in our lifetime? Why do we constantly fight and try to eliminate them with artificial "weed killer" (food, drugs, alcohol, etc.)? Can we choose to pluck the "weeds", and use them to benefit us? As with real weeds, sometimes the blooming weed flowers are surprisingly beautiful. As ugly as a weed may be structurally, the flowers they bring benefit many birds and animals in wild life. If we can make it past the growth period of "weed patches" in our lives, the withstanding "flower" can represent illumination and growth. Like real weeds in my lawn, these metaphorical "weeds" can represent exercises in life, bring growth in ourselves, and maybe, just maybe, help feed others as we share our "weed" experiences. With that said, may we experience our "weed patches" more fully, and find beautiful flowers among the Weeds of Life!
~Jenn, City Gone Country Girl
