Maybe It All Starts With A Garden…

I’ve been working on getting a school garden program at my kids’ school for the past 6 months. It wasn’t even a thought in my head until my friend Lesley suggested the idea. But in that instant, it felt like exactly the right thing.

Of course! Food is so important to me. I went to school to learn more about food! This was something I would love for my kids to have. One of the main reasons I decided to be a stay at home mom was so that I could make just this type of impact. And here was my chance.

Since I decided to look into it, I have been talking to anyone who will listen to my ideas for a school garden. But my…lets call it…persistence… has paid off in ways I never anticipated.

Early on, I was introduced to one of the moms behind this incredible school garden. From the moment I asked my first question, she has offered detailed, thorough and timely responses. I can’t tell you what a wonderful feeling it is to have someone who doesn’t even know you, put forth genuine efforts to help you.

At this point in the process I am nearly obsessed! I have felt such a drive that its prompted me to take a closer look at my feelings. Why is this garden so important to me. Yes, anyone can see the benefits, and yeah, wouldn’t it be nice….but I have felt a need to see this through. One of the biggest reasons, I realized, is that I can see the impact that could be made. For hundreds of students. Every day.

I think life has a way of giving you just what you need, when you need it. As I approach my 40^th birthday, I have started to find a freedom in pursuing the things that move me, not the things that I think everyone else would like me to pursue.

I have found a confidence in my own opinion, rather than feeling the need to check in with others before I make mine known.

And I have found an ease in exercising my natural talents, despite the fears that they will not measure up. I have felt a shift in perspective. A shift that encourages me to use my time for meaningful pursuits.

I think most parents would love for their kids to have an opportunity to have a garden at their school, but who has the time to oversee such a project?

Me. Here I am with a passion for food, the environment, and a desire to live a more mindful life. I have children that are going to be at this school for up to 5 more years, and I am a stay at home mom with a flexible (though full, don’t get it twisted…) schedule. I mean really, if not me…then who?

I will be the first to admit that I’m a grand thinker, but I think this could really be the beginning of incredible things. For these kids…and for me.

Not only would they be able to enjoy the beauty of a garden at their school, but they would have a place that they could find inspiration, and real life applications to all those lessons they are learning in the classroom. At the very least, a garden will enrich their environment. And it could possibly create a shift for them that will impact their lives forever.

For me, it feels like the start of great things. I have a lot inside of me waiting to be given purpose. And I’ve got a lot more causes I’d like to lend my passions to. I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to be able to put my efforts into a project like this. The joy I have in working on each step encourages the next one.

So yeah, maybe I get a little overzealous about plans and ideas for the future, but I will try to control myself! And focus on what is happening right now. And that is this incredible opportunity I have been offered to effect the lives of so many. A truly meaningful journey that I’m grateful to be on.