What Volunteers Teach Us
July 29, 2026
Even beautiful things may need to be moved when they are growing in the wrong place. I have these climbing flowers in the garden that are beautiful and also a little maddening. I think they may be sweet peas, and they send out little tendrils that hook onto everything. They spread under the soil, have deep roots, pull a lot of water, and are hard to remove. They are not ugly. That is what makes the lesson interesting. They are very pretty. The flowers are beautiful. But in the garden beds, they can take over space and resources that other plants need.
So I try to pull them from where they do not belong and toss them out by the fence, hoping maybe they will grow there someday instead. Same beauty, better place. That feels like a useful garden metaphor. Not everything beautiful belongs everywhere. Some things need boundaries. Some things need a different location. Some things can still be appreciated without being allowed to take over.
The garden keeps teaching me that tending is not only adding. Sometimes tending is moving beauty to the right place.
With love and intention,
Jennifer
