If you had asked me where I’d been – and what I had been busy doing this past week – my answer would simply have been – ‘I’m busy tending my garden’.

Now that it’s Autumn – there are things that need tending – tidying up – and making ready for the winter. We’ve had some unsettled weather – making it impossible to spend time giving my garden that care and attention needed – and so – as the sun shone through I decided to quickly get busy.

If you follow my blog at all – you will know that I love spending time in the garden. While I would never profess to being a ‘true gardener’ – few things bring me greater pleasure than to spend a day – at what I call ‘pottering’ – in the garden.

I love this quote here – “A garden requires patient labour and attention – plants do not grow merely to satisfy ambitions – or to fulfil good intentions – they thrive because someone expended effort on them”.

I know that many plants can survive lots of adverse conditions – some grow in spite of neglect – but the blooms of plants that are truly cared for – outshine all others.

As my thoughts wondered – I realised – just how much – my care for the garden – points to the way that I see – and care for those around me.

As this quote says – “relationships are like a plant -they need effort and attention – to grow and to flourish”.

I love that – and it challenges my heart – for how easy it is to neglect relationships – to leave them to thrive on their own. And yes – some will survive – they will struggle on – they may grow – but how much stronger – and brighter they could bloom – if only I gave them the care and attention that they deserved.

For me too – another very important lesson that I have learnt – is that I also have to take care of myself. I have not always been good at this – thinking that it was always others who were more important – but – if I want to grow – in order to be a better person for those others in my life – then I need to take heed of this quote – that says – “Give yourself the care and attention that you give to others – and watch yourself bloom” .

I have to say that I feel stronger – heathier – and – happier – as I learn to take care of myself – and my desire is – that others will benefit because of that too.

Blessings – Lois