Spring Weeding

Saturday morning all the moving parts in the universe converged to provide an opportunity to do the first real spring cleaning of our outdoor space. It wasn’t the warmest day we’ve had recently, but it was clear and sunny and the ground was dry enough to get down on my hands and knees to pull last year’s die back and the early weeds from the front garden beds.

I’m not sure why it is, but whenever I find myself working in the garden, I find my thoughts taking flight. Maybe it’s the sound the wind blowing through the trees or the songs of the birds or just the fresh smell of the earth, I don’t know for sure. But, like a dandelion seed in the wind, I’m never certain where they will take me. Saturday morning, as I pulled the unwanted greenery from my mulch and walkway took me to thinking about pulling other unwanted “weeds” from my life.

Since my temporary job at UVA ended on the first of the month, I have spent a good deal of time cleaning out closets, drawers, cabinets and everywhere else stuff collects. I tend to be a hoarder; not liking to part with anything that may be useful a some point in the future. I’ve finally come to the realization that although these things may be indeed useful, if I haven’t found a use for them in a year or two, someone else should be at least given the opportunity to use them. And, as my Woman’s Club will be holding its annual yard sale next month, it is the perfect time to share my treasures.

Along with unwanted stuff and greenery, I’ve also begun to evaluated how I spend my time. Working full-time helped remind me just how precious a commodity it is. Over the course of the years I haven’t been working, I’ve added many, “Sure, I can do that” things to my life. And, just like the things I have tucked away in drawers and closets, they can be just as difficult to part with. So, along with clearing away tangible things cluttering my life, I am on a campaign to rid myself of activities that either no longer give me joy or where I find myself ineffective. Probably both of those things are contingent upon each other. In any case, I learned a long time ago that sometimes it is necessary to step away from something to allow someone else to step up.

Weeding in all forms is time consuming but does have its rewards. In the garden, the rewards are fleeting because in just a matter of days or sometimes even hours, new weeks seem to pop up. I have a little more control over my drawers and closets but with my time, I need to be the most careful; to balance the openness to new sprouts taking root and insuring that my garden remains free of weeds.