Growing Grass

Hello!

I live on Emerald Lane. It is a lovely little cul-de-sac in Upstate New York. One thing you will notice when you turn down Emerald Lane is the beautiful, lush, green, lawns. The people here take good care of their lawns. Some of my neighbors have lawn services and some of us take care of our own lawn. My husband and I fall into the second category.

When we moved into our home six years ago, the builder hired a lawn company to spray our dirt with a green covering. We were told to water it three times a day for three weeks and we did. Sure enough, a pretty lawn appeared. We fertilized and watched it grow. Our lawn belonged on Emerald Lane.

Then came the drought of 2005. July was particularly dry and our city enforced watering restrictions. We were very conscientious and obeyed the watering rules. Unfortunately for us, the sun was too intense on our front yard and we lost our lawn. We didn't worry too much, we figured we'd replant the next year.

Spring 2006 came and we ordered top soil. We spread thousands of cubic meters of dirt. We seeded and watered. Soon we had little grass "pubies." We were very proud. We fertilized and anticipated a lush, dark green lawn.

Three weeks later, my husband and I noticed a yellow green covering on our lawn. As the days went by the yellow green aura grew and grew. It took over our front lawn. It was crab grass. Our lawn was the only bright green lawn on the lane. In the fall, we raked up what we could and hoped for an early snow.

This spring, my husband and I had to deal with the desert patch in the front of our home. We got a myriad of opinions from different neighbors. We read Internet site after Internet site about crab grass, planting lawns and various products. We spent hours at the garden section at Lowe's discussing our options. Finally, this week we got to work. We raked and seeded and threw dirt over it and watered. We worked hard. Our neighbors walked by and gave us an encouraging word. We felt bolstered.

Now we wait. Each morning I turn on the sprinkler. I wonder if the sun's too hot on our yard. I look closely at the dirt hoping for a sign of grass. (It's too soon but I look anyway.) I talk to the lawn. I pay homage to the Grass God. It's not like I don't have a million other things to do.

This morning, when I looked out at the yard I thought about the verse in the bible that talks about the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. I thought about all the empty fields around our home and the fact that they all have grass on them. I remember growing up with my dad and he going out once a week to cut the grass. I don't think I ever saw him plant grass seed. That's when I decided that growing grass wasn't such a big deal. Grass is gonna grow or it's not gonna grow. Grass has been around a heck of a lot longer than I have and it's done just fine. I'm gonna let it do it's own thing.

That attitude is one I am trying to cultivate in my personal life too. I do what I can and then I gotta leave it up to the universe. I've loved and nurtured my children. I written a children's book from my heart. I've made the choices of my life based on the best information I had at the time. Now I gotta let go. Life is gonna do what it's gonna do. Just like my front yard, I water myself with wisdom and truth. I plant myself in the fertile soil of love and care. I turn my face in the direction of the light and I let life grow me up.

Would you like to join me?

Have hope,
Donna