Overwatering?

     Every spring we buy several trees and bushes.  We bring them home and happily plant them in the garden.  We have high hopes for what improvements they will render to the yard.  But they never make it that far.  We have some hard growing conditions to deal with on our hill top; clay soil, heat, and wind.  However, these have nothing to do with their demise.
     The true problem is my husband has a tendency to over water them.  Every time they show a little droop, or it was a hot day, or the wind blew; there he is pour water on their root ball.  It is too much love and nurturing.  The plants never get a chance to find their own way, their own water, they never need to reach out with new roots.  They are not able to fend for themselves while we are away.  They never develop the deep root system required hold them up in a strong wind.  They parish.
     We sometimes make the same mistakes in raising children.  We can over nurture children as well.  Always making sure they have what they need is a parent's job.  Giving more than they need, always making sure they are entertained, and fixing every problem that comes their way is too much nurturing.  They become dependent on you for a life time.  They never have to reach out to others building their own support system and sense of community.  They never have to search within to find their own strengths and develop their own talents.  There will never be a need to reach out to a Higher Power.  They won't develop the root system they need to keep them up right in a strong wind.
     Mind the hose carefully.

  

Enjoy!

Finding joy in everyday life isn't about what you do, but how you do what you do. 

 

      For example, I just got out of the hot tub.  You may have already thought, "Wow, I would enjoy that."  Well, it would depend on how you do it.  There are two ways to soak in the tub.
      One way is to sit there and stew.  Thinking about everything you have to get done today, what went wrong yesterday, and worry about the things you think might happen.  No amount of hot water and massage jets can break through that thought process.  I have done it this way.  You get out more tense and stressed than when you got in.
       Or you can do it the mindful way.  Staying in the moment.  Keeping your mind on the way the water feels.  Watching the sunlight bounce off the water.  Noticing the little white clouds above and the roses across the garden.  Listening to the morning bird calls. Now that is true rest.  You get out relaxed and refreshed. 

      Apply mindfulness to everything that you do and watch your joy return.