Teachings from the garden 花園啟示錄

周群義

在花園里的工作看似平淡，卻教會(huì)了“我”許多人生的哲理。

I am a gardener working in the garden. The garden is teaching me about working with the earth. I recognize that there will be both successes and failures and there are many variables that affect them both.

The quality of the seeds planted has a bearing on how the plants will grow. The weather can be too hot， too cold， or exactly right， and usually changes between all three. Weeds seem to thrive in the garden and need to be removed， pulled， and discarded to ensure they do not affect the fruits， vegetables， and flowers we have so lovingly planted.

I take time to stand back and rest， and to observe the plants and how they are growing. Each plant is unique and develops in the way that is best for them. Some have large broad leaves to protect their fruit from the harsh rays of the sun， while other plants are more open， their fruit needing the light to grow and ripen.

I would get my hands dirty， feel the sweat on my brow， bend and work under the warm summer sun. This reminds me that I am alive in ways I would not have remembered sitting on the couch.

It is tempting to move things around， to transplant， and to disturb the natural order of how plants grow. The garden teaches me that it is important to know when to disturb things and when to let them be. The garden's life cycle follows a pattern that is repeated according to laws of nature， birth， growth， as well as death and it teaches us to accept this fact.

Perhaps life is like the garden. Successes， failures， time to be active and time to rest， to let go of what is no longer needed， and to cultivate what helps us to grow into our light and power are all precious lessons， which teach me to embrace life from beginning to end.

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If you're also a gardener， what different lesson will you learn from your job compared to the author of this text？

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