Last month we looked at sowing – how to begin the process of creating the life we want to 
have.
This month, we are exploring the next step in the process – tending the garden as it begins to grow. Tending has two main parts, pruning and weeding. Both require patience.
Pruning starts as the plants begin to grow. You’ve done the hard work of prepping the garden and sowing the seed, patiently waiting for the little leaves to show. However, as the plant continues to grow, sometimes some leaves, branches, or stems need to be cut off or shaped for it to grow even more full and tall – to reach its potential.
Have there been times where you realized certain parts of your old life (or people) needed to be cut off so you could continue to grow? Pruning can be painful. However, cutting off those parts that are dying or holding us back can make all the difference.
Weeding, on the other hand, is something else entirely. I view weeding as more of a protective mechanism, rather than something done to push towards growth and transformation. Weeding is figuring out which little seedlings are from the seeds you planted, and which are invader plants that will cause harm or kill off the newly formed growth.
I have to say, I was avoiding this blogpost. See, I can talk about pruning all day. It’s not pleasant but it is a different type of pain than weeding. Pruning comes with choosing that a leaf or branch needs to go. So yes, definitely painful, but there is not a sense of betrayal. When the weeds are first growing, they look a lot like little offshoots of the seeds. Like maybe they will be beneficial to the garden, not harmful. Recently, I realized one of the offshoots I had in my own life was actually a massive weed. It started showing its true nature and for my own safety and sanity, I had to pull it out. Weeding can leave you with the questions of “how did I not notice this sooner?” or “did I do something wrong?”. It left both for me. I thought this weed was a seed I had planted, one that would actually bear much fruit. Instead, it was a weed that was prepared to take out the entire garden.
Has that ever happened to you? It’s difficult to put into words the feelings that come along with it, as well as the sense of betrayal. If you have had to recently pull out some weeds, I encourage you to give yourself some time to rest. The weeds were realistically syphoning a lot of nutrients from the soil, so you may feel depleted or discouraged. Resting will give you time to build back up, to heal, and then to begin growing again.
Take some time to examine your garden. Are there leaves or branches that need to be pruned? Are there weeds that need to be removed? If so, what is the game plan for protecting the garden you have spent so long preparing and nurturing?
