Put the gloves on

On gathering the tools, myself, and making the first pull.

The practice of writing has become my meditation. And this summer, my mornings have included coffee, writing, and weeds.

When we bought this house, it was mid-March and covered in snow. We hardly realized it was sitting on nearly half an acre, with ten large trees (two dead) and a row of arborvitae along the road. The spring was an unfolding realization of lilac bushes, hydrangeas, tiger lilies, berberis, and a handful of hostas. I sprinkled sunflower and wild flower seeds to spruce up empty spaces, and planted vegetables in the two raised garden beds.

Since moving in, I’ve hardly touched the weeds. I’ve let the creeping charlie creep, leaving the purple-blue flowers to catch the early dew and the clover to feed the bunnies. I trimmed the trees, but let the wilder grasses grow along the edges.

This year, the thistles and the poisoned rhubarb started creeping in to the point where a six-foot rhubarb stalk could be seen over the fence to the road. The five-foot high thistles taunted me from the corners.

I didn’t realize how much stress I was carrying because of the overgrowth. Every time I sat down to write outside, I thought, I should deal with that. All the while, I knew I could handle it if I just got a few things in order: the bags, the gloves, the clippers. But sometimes starting is the hardest part.

Today, I tackled the weeds.

Photo by Anna Evans on Unsplash

The acknowledgement

that I had everything I needed

was all it took.

A couple of days 

gathering tools

and myself,

and suddenly 

it got me out of bed.

The day had come

to tend to the overgrowth.

I escaped 

drenched in sweat

and with enough red welts 

to show I’d been through it 

and survived.

The thorns at the edges

had bitten through my leather palms

as I told all the young trees

that they will grow again.

Neglected things

can still be tended.

It starts with 

putting the gloves on,

and making the first pull.

What are you tending to, this week?

What have you been neglecting, and what tools can you gather to help you start?

Leave me a comment. Or, reach out. 🪴

Love,

Brittany