Today's Word Is.....

This must be the adult version.  I distinctly remember my kids being in preschool and each day had a "letter of the day".  It was all about the alphabet then.  Real life is sometimes just like preschool in this regard.

I'd like to introduce this week's words.  Let's start with humility, perseverance, compassion, faith and empathy.   In no specific order.  Now class, look at the people around you and apply this filter....humility, perseverance, compassion, faith and empathy.

Day in and day out we cross path's with family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and strangers in all shapes and forms. How little we actually know about them, and how likely it is we will ever bother to find out. They may be physically or emotionally ill, losing faith, unemployed, stuck in a bad relationship. They may be humbled by the circumstances of life.  They may be walking by faith.  Their faith may be failing.  They may laugh even when they'd rather be crying. It's easy to make a joke or two and leave it at that.  Been there, done that, laughed at the joke.  Been there, was the recipient of that, was hurt by the joke.

Why now, why today, why this blog?  Because whether you live in the big city, or a little town life is what we make it.  Let's make it a gentler place to reside. By applying the words of the day, by slowing down, by reaching out.

Harvesting, Planting, and The Roads of Life

It is that time of year. We are simultaneously harvesting and planting "seeds", literally and figuratively, for next season.  Life is like that.  

There is irony, agony and ecstasy.  So much of life is lived on the straight and narrow.  Life in the country is like that.  At least here, farmland is all rows, sections, and grids.  Go down a mile, take a left, repeat, repeat and you find yourself where you began.  Okay, life is not like that.  

I love the irony of be surrounded by straight rows and roads. Yet, we live on a curvy road.

Our life, love and faith journey is much like this sign. That is where the beauty of it all comes in.  Bumps, curves, growth, harvest, planting.

I learned to do canning this year.  Honestly, I've wanted to learn all my life. Maybe I needed to live in the country to embrace this process.  Wild plums, chokecherry's, tomato's, green beans, and cucumbers have all danced over my kitchen counter lately.  I have a neat and tidy (a rarity for me) shelf of canned goods in rows in the basement. I am fairly certain these same shelves held canned goods from other lives over the years.  It comforts me to put my jars there for use over the winter.  

Even as our garden is almost finished for the year we are actively planning for next year.  More raised beds, more organization (one can hope) more produce for canning.  Daffodil bulbs and garlic bulbs are being planted.  Faith, to, is being planted with each scoop of the shovel.

You know, it occurred to me recently how we go through our days oblivious. Unaware of the struggles our friends/family may be experiencing.  Blind to the beauty of the land we take for granted.  Sometimes I stop along the roads and pick up the beer cans that someone carelessly littered on our country roads. Sometimes in my haste I don't even see them. Perhaps that is our challenge. To dig deep enough to see what is before us. To plant some seeds and harvest some gratitude.