This year I planted lettuce in the first week of April like you’re supposed to. Lettuce needs cool soil and does not tolerate the heat too well, especially in the beginning of its germination. The ground was still cold, there was still the risk of frost, and the signs of spring had not quite started yet. Even the grass looked like it was still recovering from a very snowy winter. I planted the lettuce anyway, trusting the fact that the lettuce would know what to do.
Minus the fact that I planted it in a bad place, because we ended up putting a patio in this year, the lettuce grew. At first it looked little and wilted and I didn’t think it was going to make it. You are not supposed to water it too much as it needs to find its own water source so I resisted the urge to water it. Within 6 days, it began to perk up and grow. The cold spring had worked well for growing lettuce, though the rest of the spring plants did not fare as well.
I felt a little cheated this spring to be totally honest. It was cold and rainy and everything was delayed by about 3 weeks in the Midwest section of N. America. I missed my usual schedule of planting and found myself being angry at Mother Nature. The logical mature side of me chided me for being silly, and the irrational emotional side did not care. I was disappointed!
But spring did finally come and I was finally able to plant my flowers. We did get our patio in though I probably won’t get my vegetables in this year and that is a disappointment. I also realized the waste of energy I expended in being irritated about something I have no control over. After all, spring did come and now summer is here. It doesn’t always show up in the manner we expect, and it shows up.
As always, this holds life lessons as well. How many times have you been angry at something that you had no control over? Driving in traffic? Waiting for a medical test result? Worse, having to retake the test because the first time did not work out? There are endless examples of the circumstances outside of our control and like the lettuce, we sometimes find ourselves a little wilty and vulnerable in the process. And things finally do come to some sort of conclusion or outcome as our roots take hold; we become stronger and grounded- at least that is the lesson I get every time I find myself pushed or challenged in some way. Yes I could quit, roll over or just give up, or I could stand firm, let the roots take hold and wait for the conditions that do produce what I want. The seeds knows what direction it’s going in- and it waits for it.We are the same way when we trust the process and ourselves
By the way, Last week I ate the lettuce. It was delicious!
Keep growing ~ Suzanne