Motivational Monday - Weeding

Holiday weekend weeding.   Do you see them?  The tiny, tender carrot seedlings.  Growing right next to the quack and pig weed.  While I was ever so gently working, my fingers like surgical instruments plucking and pulling, I happen to think of an old saying my mom said, yours too probably:  "Don't throw out the baby with the bath water."  As pitiful as my garden is this year, I was pulling out carrot, kale and beet seedling trying to weed around them.   I decided that I could "live" with some of them until the seedlings get bigger.  

"Don't throw the baby out with the bath water," originates from Germany in 1500's and was a very common phrase.  In those days, one filled the bath and all used it.  The saying comes from the fact that by the time you washed the baby the water was very dirty and murky.  I can't help but imagine, one must have tossed out a baby or we wouldn't have this phrase.  It's proverbial meaning is:  don't discard something valuable along with something undesirable.   

I thought about this the whole time I was weeding.  Thinking about all the different things I was pulling out from around my plants.  "That's pig weed, quack, ground ivy, maple tree sprout, thistle, nettles and many I didn't know."  

The thing with weeds is that they take their own share of the soil and nutrients.  Some deeper, with long roots.  Others shallow with tiny, tender roots.  Some weeds filling up the open path between rows, while others growing right next to the seedling.  Can you see where I'm going with this?  

In my OCD attempt to pull out ...every single weed....I was also pulling out the few seedlings I did have right with them!  Could I just live with some of the ones close to the plants, hilling up the soil and let it be?  I decided yes!  

Sometimes, we need to examine ourselves, our habits and choices.  Oh, we may have some deep seeded, hard to change type issues that are taking up space.  Doing a good job choking out all our good intentions.  We also could have some shallow, "I'll just let this slide," "it won't be that bad" type issues that sneak up right next to what we desire.  Growing so close that when we try to get rid of it, some of our dreams and ideals are lost too.   Can you relate?

I will share one of my examples on this.  Yes, I could stand to lose a few pounds (wink, wink).  I actually have been working on it.  I've cut out (weeded) some of my "favorites" - haven't bought, nor brought into the house.  Will I NEVER eat this or that again?  That's ridiculous, of course I will.  However, when I've let myself indulge in a few little "favorites"  I find that I actually enjoy them more!  

In all honesty, I don't even crave some of them anymore.  I let a little grow along with my changing habits and just like these hilled up onions, no weeds.....

So, I hope, as you work on yourself, you think on this Motivational Monday post and "don't throw out the baby with the bath water!"  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.