Gratitude Everlasting – Day 4

My children would like me to be grateful for our home’s central heating today.

And then they’d like me to turn it on.

It is autumn and the air is indeed brisk. Typical November weather would also have us bathed in rain by now but the sun is shining bright and the irrigation system is still running strong.

Which means my garden is still in full bloom.

Day 4 – November 4^th – Today I am mindfully & profoundly grateful for my garden.

Gardening has always been more than a hobby. Gardening has been my meditation. I can lose myself for hours sowing seeds, pruning trees, harvesting carrots and even picking weeds. I swell with humble pride feeding my small family the literal fruits of my outdoor labor.

The birth, life and eventual death of a plant is amazing to watch and even more incredible to facilitate. And the lifecycle of gardening is enormous when you consider edibles become energy and mass in living beings. 

My son, for instance, is probably 50% Fuji apple, 40% Nantes carrot and perhaps 10% bacon. Oh the energy those apples and carrots put out!

Sadly autumn means the end of a fruitful garden in many of the places I’ve lived.

But not in California.

My snap peas enjoy the cooler temperatures and have entwined themselves around the same cages that supported tomato plants only weeks prior. My citrus trees are pregnant with oranges, lemons and kumquats, brightening as the days grow darker.

But it is my grape arbors that epitomize the transition of the season. Vibrant green leaves have browned yet the fruit remains, getting sweeter as the days go on. (I believe there’s an easy metaphor in there for anyone that’s interested.)

So the kids shiver in their fleece jammies* at the breakfast table, hoping today is the day I can be grateful for the modern convenience of central heating.

I consider the request. After all, it is November 4^th

Smiling kindly, I kiss them gently and say, “Put a sweatshirt on!” before heading out to the garden.

NOTE: If you'd like to spend the month in a similar state of gratitude, you can play along with me here in the comments section or check out KindSpring.org to sign up for their 21-day Challenge that begins on November 7^th!

*No children, pets or adults have been harmed in the writing of this post. It actually hasn’t dipped below 59 degrees inside the house yet and they do have plenty of warm clothes and blankets. Oh! And I HAVE finally agreed to shut the windows at night.