Lessons from Nature
I would have never guessed, but my first spring living on an acreage has taught me a great deal about life. It never ceases to amaze me how nature is the perfect mentor that teaches by example.
My first lesson came when we became aware that the black knotty things on some of our trees was actually a fungus called black knot and, if not taken care of, would cause the trees to die. It also runs the risk of infecting other surrounding fruit trees. The lesson is, of course, a stitch in time saves nine. Even though we inherited this problem when we moved in, it is a reminder not to leave things until it is too late leaving in its place an enormous chore to deal with. I think we (humans) hope against hope that the problem will just go away so it has to get bigger to let us know it must be dealt with. Sometimes we just fear the worst so we ignore the problem. If we would just face our fear when it’s small, it couldn’t get big in the first place.
Unfortunately, it is too late for a couple of our trees. The hope that the problem will just go away has absolutely diminshed. We called in an arborist for advice. He recommended taking the trees down. At first, I didn’t want to take the arborist’s advice. I wanted to keep the trees. I mean, they are big and fill the space they occupy beautifully. Taking them down would leave holes in our landscaping and on top of all that – I like them! It took me awhile to realize taking out the old to bring in the new is the best course of action. This is lesson number two: letting go to allow for something better. We have decided to replace the trees with something more hearty and that will require less maintenance. While it felt momentarily devastating to let go of something that we love, once we made that decision we immediately felt better. While I certainly am upset the look of our yard will be temporarily interrupted while we wait for new trees to grow, I know that this course of action will save hours of worry and frustration by not having to constantly prune, spray, or treat a diseased tree. Also, I am no longer prolonging the suffering of the trees nor endangering the existing healthy ones. This gives me a sense of peace.
Lesson three came when I had to trim my hedges. I have never trimmed hedges before and ours appear that they hadn’t been done for several years. At first I was cautious not to take too much off of them, until I realized the more I cut back, the better they looked. What I also noticed was that by taking off several feet of growth from some of the larger bushes, not only did they look better but it made the surrounding trees look more majestic and picturesque. That’s the lesson: sometimes less is more. As humans, we hang onto every last bit in fear of losing something, but when we finally allow for something to be simpler we find ourselves happy and lighter. I think of some women I know who never cut their hair and when they finally take off 6 inches, not only does their hair look better, they look 10 years younger. I think of how when I clear the clutter off of a shelf and place only a handful of my prized possessions on it instead of all 50 of a collection how much better it looks. Less is indeed more. Simpler simplifies.
The final lesson that I have learned from living on my acreage is not to rush, but allow everything in good time. I was in a rush to get my garden planted. I planted some seeds and bought tomato, broccoli, strawberry, and celery plants. They all went in the garden on the May long weekend. I also planted flower pots and put flower plants in the beds. Then I spent the next week covering those plants every night with sheets, towels, and blankets to stop them from freezing. If only I had waited one more week, I would have saved myself a lot of time and headache (not to mention laundry!). My plants would be better off too. Now that I know better, I firmly tell myself that I will not plant anything until June 1st next year! Hopefully I listen. Even more importantly, I hope I listen to the lesson of not to rush but instead allow everything to occur in good time. Patience is a virtue, but I still have trouble waiting to get it!
Living on an acreage definitely has a learning curve, but one I most enjoy. This summer allow nature to show you an easier, simpler, less rushed way to live and be. Do what needs doing when it needs doing it, but don’t overdo it. Summer is a time for fun in the sun with emphasis placed on the fun part. And now it’s time to enjoy a refreshing beverage on the deck. Happy Summer everyone!
