How To Let Things Go

Earlier this summer I started taking morning walks around my neighborhood.

Before the kids are up and, frankly, before the neighborhood is up, I walk a couple of miles going up and down all the blocks in my urban community.

During those first few walks, I remember getting so much inspiration for my own garden and landscaping.

I'd take pictures of flowers I loved and make mental notes of how beds were laid out with different perennials and annuals and look at what vegetables people were growing.

But then as summer progressed, my view started changing.

I started seeing flowers that were dying of thirst, bushes that desperately wanted to be trimmed, and beds that were being taken over by weeds.

I remember thinking, "how can they not see that their pots need to be watered?".

Or "it wouldn't take that long to weed that bed and get it cleaned up."

I didn't understand how someone could plant flowers and then just let them die from lack of watering.

Or walk by weeds and overgrown plants every day on their way in and out of the house.

I didn't understand, that is, until August when we:

• Took a family vacation.

• Scrambled to find childcare for the last couple of weeks of summer.

• Navigated two very demanding work schedules.

• Prepared for back-to-school and extracurriculars.

• Celebrated birthdays, started a book club, and soaked up the last bit of summer with friends and at the pool.

Before I could even notice what was happening, my garden was in desperate need of pruning and my cucumbers were dead.

My landscaping beds were full of weeds and my flowers had stopped blooming.

And you know what I did once I did notice? Nothing.

Just like my neighbors, I saw it and I walked right by.

I didn't even pretend that I would get to it anytime soon. I knew we just had too much going on for me to find the time and energy for anything else.

I made a conscious decision. This is not going to be the summer for well-maintained landscaping or a bountiful garden.

Maybe next summer. Maybe not.

And maybe, all those neighbors who I judged for letting their flowers and gardens go, were also focused on something else. Something more important.

Maybe like me, they did notice the weeds and the thirsty plants, and they chose to put their time and energy toward the most important things, which just so happened to NOT be gardening.

There's no right or wrong just like there are no right or wrong priorities.

Whatever you choose is going to be great, as long as it's your choice and not something you do because you feel like you should.

What are you choosing to let go of in favor of more important things... for this season?

Me? I'll just be over here growing weeds and focusing on other priorities.

And next season, I reserve the right to change my mind.