Mmmmm, just a little patience, yeah yeah.
Guns-n-Roses had it right back in 1989. Patience was the hit track on their 2nd album. Patience is part of life and leads to a happier, more peaceful life.
I like the idea, but it never really stuck as a practice.
I’d always say I was “without patience,” “had no patience,” “didn’t like to wait,” and so on, but as we were planting trees today, I thought of patience in a new light.
One of my favorite Buddhist sayings is:
“When is the best time to plant a tree?”
Answer:
“20 years ago or today.”
It put the idea of patience into a new context.
Being impatient for the things you do not have today means you didn’t plan to have them long ago.
Let me unpack that.
- I often lament that we only have a few lovely shade trees in the Maize Quest Fun Park.
- When I think of it, it is typically in the middle of summer before we open. Meaning I’m thinking of it too late.
- I didn’t plan years ago to have beautiful shade trees. How can I be impatient or disappointed today?!
- Sooooo, we are planting (20) new “October Glory” Maple Trees in the Fun Park next week.
Then I realized that, actually, we’ve been patient on several things. Maybe you have been, too.
- Back in 2015, we took out a big loan to launch Maple Lawn Winery. Just a few weeks ago, we made our final payment. That was an incredible feeling we had waited a long time for!
- Today we planted 250 Pixie Crunch Apple trees and won’t get to sample them for FOUR YEARS! However, my father planted trees 2, 5, 10, 15, and even 20 years ago that you and your family enjoy each fall!
- We invested significantly in solar panels that are now mounted and functional on the large farm market & packing house buildings. If electric prices go crazy in the future, we are buffered by our ability to produce the electricity we need to press wine, cool fruit, and bake pies. (You can see how much power the system is making when you visit the farm market on a screen mounted there 🙂
- Lavender took two years of growing before we could welcome you to the field.
- Sunflowers take months to see in full bloom!
I guess I’m saying to take it easy on yourself. We are all impatient to get results, to get answers, and to make everything happen right now.
Perhaps the answer to getting more positivity now, getting more success now, to enjoy the fruits of your labor daily; we just need to start planting more seeds each day.
We never know when they will ripen, blossom or produce, but more seeds in the ground today means more beautiful trees every day in the future.
What are you planting today?
Have a great week, and keep planting,
Farmer Hugh
