Why I do What I do

Anyone who has read my few posts from the past year knows that the Misses and I have been involved with a community garden. We started with the project in an effort to keep the Misses happy, and to provide some fresh veggies for our meals. The project has become so much more for me.

The basic premise for the garden is that the volunteers work the garden in exchange for a portion of the produce. Any remaining produce is given to an emergency food bank about 50 feet from the garden. It is a system that has worked very well. We have gotten to try several new veggies, and the Misses are beginning to understand about giving to others.

This lesson was brought home for me today.

We had a fantastic group in the garden today. The weather was beautiful, and we got so much done. Eight of us worked together to harvest jalapeno peppers while others worked on the okra and the weeding. There was all kinds of conversation going on, and it was a happy place to be.

Then I went into the tool shed.

We have a bulletin board in the shed that holds our sign-in sheets as well as assorted bits and pieces of information. There is a really cool set of papers all about companion plants. There is a reminder to drink lots of water and stay away from the fire ants.

And today there was a letter from a lady who had come to the food bank to get a little bit of help, and got more than she expected. It wasn't a long letter, but the words she wrote truly touched me. This woman expressed her pleasant surprise at being asked if she would like some fresh vegetables included in her food box. She described how she felt when she saw the okra, and how she immediately began planning a meal around what she was receiving. She commented that having those few pieces of okra brought back happy memories of childhood meals prepared with produce from her father's garden.

Then she thanked us for our kindness and thoughtfulness.

And I cried.

I work in the garden because I enjoy it. I like the people I work with, and the camaraderie we have. I go there because it makes me happy. To be perfectly honest, helping others has always been kind of secondary. I know that is selfish, but going to the garden is something that I have been doing for myself first, and to teach my girls second.

I have had plenty of opportunities to talk to people about why the garden exists, how much fun it is is to work together, and how much we have enjoyed the produce. I KNOW that lots of people have been helped by this project. I have talked to them. I have listened to their "Thank yous" as they have walked away from the food bank with bags of fresh okra, tomatoes and peas.

I have never been touched like I was by this letter. Maybe it was just the right time for me to really hear the message. I don't know. I do know that my perspective has changed a bit. I will still go to the garden because it is something I enjoy, but I will go with the thought in my head that what we are doing is touching people in ways that I cannot imagine. Maybe I'll pull a few extra weeds, or sing a few more songs to the pumpkins. And maybe I can add a little extra love to the process that can be passed on to someone who needs it.