Even though 2012 is winding down, fall always has that feeling of beginning a new year. I’m sure that feeling is deeply ingrained in us as we spend 18 years or more heading off to school in the fall. So much to look forward to—new friends, new teachers, new classes and so on.
As well as the newness of it all, I also looked forward to growth in what I already knew, deepening friendships and a year that would build on the previous ones.
Each president of the Naperville Garden Club chooses a theme for the year, reflected in the directory that members receive at our September meeting. My theme is “life-long learning,” and the quote on the cover, “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere,” is a Chinese Proverb that recognizes the value of learning.
I spent over a month this summer with my son, Christian, his lovely wife, Nichole, and their toddler daughter, Addison. It is fascinating to watch a young child exploring her world and trying to make sense of it. Living in Arizona, Addison has learned that the artificial grass in her back yard is too hot for her bare feet in the daytime, but OK after dinner, so stay on the patio.
Her first phrase is, “Help me,” which she uses throughout her day. With her hand on the refrigerator door or the pantry door, sweet little Addison pleads, “Help me,” hoping for a treat.
When Addison has trouble getting something that is out of her reach or would like help with a toy, my darling granddaughter entreats, “Help me.” She is learning a lot on her own, but already knows that she needs help and information from others to make the most of her world.
As gardeners, we learn from each other. Recently I visited a garden that will be on our garden walk next June. The homeowners have a rain barrel, but instead of using a diverter to send the water that overflows the barrel when it rains back into the downspout, they have it hooked up to a hose with a sprinkler on the end that keeps the excess water on their property, out of the storm drain and decreasing the impact of runoff to streams. Now I am doing the same thing, sending extra water to needy areas of my lawn or garden.
What have you learned lately?
