Dr. Grow: Make things simple, easy

During the holiday season I look for inspiration so that I can write a Christmas column about an idea that will have some significance to readers. I need inspiration because, for me, that idea is often hard to come by. Not yet having that idea was on my mind the Saturday after Thanksgiving when I had lunch with my granddaughter, Kelsi, at her favorite restaurant, McDonald's. With us were Mommy Nicole and MomMom Marilyn.

As we were sitting in a booth and eating, I said to Marilyn, "I need some inspiration for my Christmas column. I don't have a clue about a subject on which to write."

As I made my comment to Marilyn and Nicole, Kelsi, who was standing on the booth seat next to me, grinned, cupped her two hands and imitated throwing a beach ball to me. She then giggled and went back to munching on Chicken McNuggets and french fries.

Although I saw Kelsi's gesture, I continued talking to Marilyn and Nicole about my lack of inspiration. Marilyn patiently let me finish and then said, "Did you see what your granddaughter just did? She threw you some inspiration."

I stopped for a minute and watched in my mind's eye the instant replay. Kelsi cupped her hands together and, with an underhand motion, threw something imaginary at me and then giggled. All of a sudden it hit me. She did throw me some inspiration. Although I had initially seen her throwing it to me, I really didn't "see" what she was doing until Marilyn said something to me.

What was Kelsi telling me? It took me a while to figure it out. In her own innocent way she was saying, "PopPop, you make things too hard. Open your eyes and look. When you really look, you too can see how important little, simple things are."

So what does all of this have to do with gardening? I sometimes look at gardening as a chore that needs to be done at a specific time. I get all wrapped up in the fertilizing, pruning, picking and weeding. I want to make sure that I have a bumper crop each year. I am normally more involved in the techniques and the results of gardening than the enjoyment of gardening.

If I spend all of my time working in the garden or thinking about what my garden is going to yield, I forget to enjoy watching a tomato expand in size and turn a bright red. I forget to savor the beauty of a bean in flower. I forget to watch a ladybug protecting her host plants from an injurious insect.

Kelsi often reminds me to slow down and observe the little things in life. She has shown me how to enjoy the fragrant honeysuckle that blooms in January. She has taught me to look at blades of different grass species and realize that they each have a different texture. She has made me aware of the delicate yellow flowers nestled among the showy bracts of a poinsettia.

My precious Christmas gift from Kelsi, one that I want to share with you, is her constant reminder, by example, to enjoy the little things of life. We have so many of them to savor each day. Those great events that we always anticipate are quite often too far and few between.

May your Christmas be a blessed one, and may you remember why we celebrate this season.

Merry Christmas!