Sometimes when I facilitate parenting classes we talk about gardening. Not the gardening metaphors about patience like planting seeds for future growth, or not ripping out our plants to check on their progress but real ‘get-your-hands-and-pants-and-everything-else-dirty’ kind of gardening.
In these groups we often talk about using all kinds of different activities to teach our children and develop their skills. Parents have told me that they can easily fit the Four Foundations to their gardens: there’s the hard work of preparing the area, the discipline associated with ‘waiting and weeding’, the adversity that comes with hungry deer or unusual weather patterns… and of course the joy of giving when we have a harvest to prepare and share! (Plus, it’s a great way to save money.)
I’m not an accomplished gardner by any stretch of the imagination…. but I love growing dinner ingredients and sharing them with my friends, so this story caught my eye. I love the idea…. and particularly Tree’s approach to giving without expecting anything in return.
I hope you enjoy it.
