Words to Live By

I attended the visitation of my close friend Lauren's grandmother last night. My mother and I went together and sifted through crowds of dear friends, stacks of old photo albums, collages of newspaper articles and announcements and multitudes of kind words. Lauren's grandmother lived to be in her mid-90's and seemed to live quite a healthy, full life. She earned three college degrees, taught Sunday school, helped countless girls with their weddings (either through sewing their dresses or coordinating their ceremonies and receptions) and was blessed with many friends and loving family members.

As we walked around the room, admiring her crafts and overhearing others talk about her life, my mother and I stumbled across several poems tacked to a bulletin board. Louise Griner was an avid poetry writer and reader. In fact, Lauren confessed to us last night that she would often use her grandmother's poetry or symbolic analysis as her own when she was in literature classes.

One of the poems caught our eye and made us think. I found several variations of the below online, but all with the same basic principles included:

For the garden of your daily living...

Come to the garden alone, while the dew is still on the roses....

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:
Peace of mind
Peace of heart
Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
Squash gossip
Squash indifference
Squash grumbling
Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
Lettuce be faithful
Lettuce be kind
Lettuce be patient
Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:
Turnip for meetings
Turnip for service
Turnip to help one another

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:
Thyme for each other
Thyme for family
Thyme for friends

Water freely with patience and cultivate with loveThere is much fruit in your garden because you reap what you sow.