Mulching

While one son gravitates to the top of the roof, our other son prefers to have two feet on the ground, digging in the garden.  He choses to  turn over the soil and cut back the grass where it is encroaching on the flower beds.   He loosens the soil around the plants and then puts a covering of bark mulch over it all.  The mulch keeps down the weeds and helps to hold the moisture in the soil.  It looks wonderful and seems to give the plants room to breathe, aerating the soil.

Grounded gardening son is also good at caring for people.  He has an easy and encouraging way.
His gentle ways remind me of what someone once told me about caring for our children when they were first adopted.  Children are like plants.  Several of our kids have been uprooted many times.  Their roots have not had a chance to spread out and secure them before they are uprooted again.  I think of them coming to our family.  We have prepared the soil, dug deep holes and spread fertilizer and water.  Then we have placed them carefully in the hole and tapped down the soil around them, adding mulch like a blanket of protection and security.  They then need to be left for a while to adjust and aclimatize.  We are careful to keep life steady for them so that they do not feel uprooted again.  Sometimes they seem to do worse for a while.   It may take many months before any sign of life returns.  It may take years for them to bud again.  We just keep watering, giving nourishment and mulch protection so their roots do not get  too much sun or cold.  Growth comes bit by bit from the miracle of life and heart within them to be who they are fully meant to be.