solace

Being a mother is hard work. There is nothing new or profound in that statement, but never the less its very true. It's just hard. It's blood, sweat and tears kind of labor, yet most mothers, I think, find it the most rewarding thing. I do. But just as with any hard job there has to be a break, a time to rest, or just a little bit of calm. I think it's necessary for each mother who works hard at raising children to find their place. Something that is that lighthouse when things get crazy.

For me the place I can retreat to for even 5 minutes of reflection is my garden. When I am tending my garden I can breath. When I am gardening I can clear my mind, reflect, think, and relax. It it a place that brings me next to my grandmother. I think she really would have enjoyed my garden and the joy that it brings to me and hopefully to those that pass by. She gave me a little slip of paper she'd cut out of magazine or something. It was a quote by Georgia O'Keefe. "Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time."

My garden takes time. My children take time. They are not small things to me.