The Grateful Steward
“We have the world to live in on the condition that we will take good care of it. And to take good care of it, we have to know it. And to know it and to be willing to take care of it, we have to love it.”
– Wendell Berry
As we step out into our new back yard with the blank slate of a garden before us, my earnest prayer is to be a good steward of this land. We have found ourselves a temporary home that is nestled on some of the most fertile soil in our valley. While the distant trees are bare we are granted the pleasure of seeing through to the sunrises over Mount Rainier— a winter time gift, as the view will soon be replaced by summer’s illustrious green leaves. In the neighboring field we have the joy of an occasional spotting of a mama deer and her youth. During our first days in residence we were visited by a rather handsome coyote who has kindly kept out of sight since our introduction, though I still hear the howling at night.
When the sun is shining it floods our back deck and we’ve taken up the habit of sitting upon the steps letting the warmth blanket us from the chill in the air. Here we let our hearts drift into daydreams of spring and visions of what could be. After a few moment the little ones run about and I sip my coffee, observe their movements to and fro, and imagine how the garden will wrap it’s self around them and become part of the whole experience.
I’m all abloom with ideas and hopes for what we can do here. While there are several new challenges we will have to learn to work through, I find them to be like a companion of sorts, sure to me in directions I would never have otherwise seen. In the same breath, the emptiness of this garden takes me back to three years past where I knelt between our freshly tilled rows and placed my very first seeds. I whispered my prayers over those seeds and then cried into the arms of my husband that my lack of knowledge was certain to lead to failure. Perhaps these nerves never really leave us entirely.
Thankfully I have the experience to remind me that where my plans did not materialize, I would soon discover that my hopes and expectations were entirely too limited for the bounty that would befall us that year. Through this and my experiences to follow, I have learned that I am not so much a talented gardener, as I am an eager and enthusiastic steward of the land. I see a potential for every little bit of space and I have seeds a-plenty that we have saved to set about. From there on, I take little credit for the miracles which occur. With my children alongside, I watch and tend with all the love and time I can give, but if the fate of the garden were entirely in my own hands, surely it would meet the failure I have so desperately feared. For that I am grateful for the innocence of my children—their hither tither method of dropping seeds that are carried about in their little pockets, and for the birds we feed that also leave sunflowers here and there, and for nature as a whole, which is all the better at gardening than I. It is with great pleasure that I humbly submit myself a most earnest student so that we may continue to tend our little bits of earth with the utmost care.
And so we stand together, a blank slate before us, day dreams upon us, experience behind us, and The Creator within us. With ready hands and willing hearts we give thanks for the beautiful responsibility to be able care for this place and let it nurture and grow us in return.
Sweet friends, I’d love to hear from you as well. Are you wandering into daydreams of spring just the same? What hopes are you carrying into the coming days with you? It would such a joy to hear from you if you feel so inclined.
Joyfully yours,
Candice
A final note in support of the small shops we are deeply grateful to partner with and show our support to; a list and links for your convenience.
* Linen Top from Sea and Sand Naturals
*Women’s Knit Cardigan from The Simple Folk
* Sweaters and Leggings from The Simple Folk