Turning Over A New Leaf

A few months ago, I decided to throw caution to the wind and start a new hobby: Gardening. Well, it’s not really new. I’ve tried off and on throughout the years. A droopy, lifeless houseplant here. A short-lived outdoor garden there. But no real success. I forget to water. I know nothing about fertilizers. I probably never even planted them in the dirt correctly. Now that I live in Arizona, I often joke that I could even kill a cactus.

I’ve thought for way too long that if I’m not good at something by now, I never will be. But this year, I’ve decided to change my negative thoughts and turn over a new leaf (pun intended). After my last birthday (the big one, the one I so dreaded), something inspired me to not give up on my interests, but to pursue them. Instead of having an “it’s too late” mentality, I’ve changed it to a Nike slogan: “Just do it.” No more will I wallow in my gardening failures of years past. I’m ready to dust myself off and try again. Or plant again.

And you know what? It’s been a really fun learning experience! Have I magically become a successful gardener? Nope. My strawberry plant died shortly after planting it. I blame my know-it-all husband, who bought them out of season. He insisted that we can plant what we want, when we want. But, lesson learned.

My chili pepper plant is also fading. Well, half of it is. And normally, that would have been enough to make me throw in the towel. But, my cherry tomato plant is coming along well. I may be able to enjoy my first successful harvest from that plant soon. And my bell pepper plant is now showing little buds that just may have a chance.

I’ve even started a compost pile. It’s a painfully slow process that is teaching me patience. But I can’t wait to watch it turn into black gold (as it’s often referred to). I have found a hobby that is richly rewarding, enjoyable and almost therapeutic. Even my children are getting involved and enjoy helping me. I hope to teach them a thing or two so that they can use these skills throughout their own lives.

And it’s not just gardening that I’ve given a second chance. I’ve always considered myself the queen of frozen dinners. I was a self-described bad cook (although I never really tried much). One day I realized that the only way I was going to learn to cook was to actually…cook. Now, I enjoy experimenting with new dishes (new to me anyway) and trying them on my family. My husband knows when I get in Pinterest mode that some new dinner is coming. And so far, they’ve turned out really well. Too bad it took so many years to start to develop new talents.

What I’ve learned throughout all this is that life doesn’t stop at thirty or forty or fifty. Life doesn’t stop until it stops. I am finally learning to enjoy today and not feel like I have to accomplish my goals or be good at something by a certain date on a calendar. I’m getting rid of my silly self-imposed timetables and taking everything day by day. That goes for many things in my life, but gardening is a good start. Who knew that some dirt, plants and a compost pile would give me such wisdom and perspective?

Featured image by Jynto