with Natalie caine

June 25, 2010 | by Natalie Caine | No Comments

As you know, one of my passions is my organic vegetable and flower garden.

Here is a surprise:  I planted my sunflower seeds all at the same time.  I have never grown them. Surprise is, the smallest, shortest plant opened her SUNNY FACE FIRST.  I planted all my tomato plants from seed at the same time.  The most hidden, bottom of the vine tomato is turning red first. I could barely see the tomato.

Expect the unexpected is what I learned from these plants.  Caring for the plants, losing some, feeding others, and watching them grow is like birth and having little ones, which you can relate to if you are a gardener.  I hate when the moths and caterpillars get the food before I do.  My friend said it is like the news where someone else landed the account or got to go on a great vacation or date and you didn’t, or the parent whose child is sweet as can be and yours is acting out.

What can you do?  Vent, weep, remember the good times you have had and the good you are, and keep going.  It sounds so easy and for sure isn’t.

Sometimes you need to nourish yourself and take a break. No emails, telephone, laundry, or cooking.  Just do it. Step out of your routine.

I hope you have good support that hears you and adds that they believe in you and want to know how they can help you through a bad day or challenging cycle.  Disappointment after disappointment naturally shuts you down.  There aren’t always answers of why things are going the way they are. You know yourself. You know when you are doing what you can and when you are resisting what might be a better choice.  You get to still be loving to yourself no matter what life challenges, mistakes, or unknowns you are living.  You know and you forget that criticizing yourself and self punishing doesn’t grow a healthy life.

Practice shifting your perception, weep, and complain, shut down, and step again.  There will always be people you know who have more than you and those who have less.  Our mind likes to compare and spin us into a wind storm.  Step out of it and do something that makes you happy.  A little happiness feeds your spirit and dusts the cob webs. You need to sleep, eat well, talk with someone, do something creative and ask for help.

Have a fun weekend and appreciate your life, Natalie

PS – A mother shared with me she just needed to stay in bed for a couple of days and flip the channels as she grieved.  She was tired of talking about her woes, so for her, she curled in and didn’t even shower.  She is lifted again in a small enough way that she trusts she can grieve and survive the pain. Do you remember suffering times that you thought would never end?