Mulch makes me happy. Mulch and sunshine and spring breezes and green plants sprouting--all make me feel lighter, more at ease, part of the "circle of life."

Plant a seed, give it water and warmth of sunshine, and it will become--a fruit, a vegetable, a flower, an herb. Tuck a root in the chilling earth in the fall, and come spring, following days of rain, it will sprout forth with new life, a new shape, a new part of the give and take that is nature.

A gardener--like a farmer--has faith. We have faith that this small seed will be nurtured in the darkness of the earth, survive the elements of the sky, avoid serving as lunch or dinner for animals and insects, and become something that will nourish us.

Imagine expecting such performance from a child. Imagine expecting such achievement from a community.

Still, a gardener has faith.

Faith that the earth is rich with nutrients and enriching minerals. Faith that the rains will be steadily quenching, not pounding and heavy, that the sun will provide an easy warmth, and not a scorching heat. Faith that animals and insects are kept at bay by establishing boundaries, careful planning, and gentle tending.

Now, imagine such an environment for a child; for any person who makes up part of a community.

Community volunteers are gardeners. They plant seeds and spend time tending and try to provide a quenching, warm experience to serve and honor the community around them.

Parents and teachers are gardeners. Their student, their child is a seed, or a bulb that has been given the nutrients of an education and is expected to grow and bloom among the winds and rains and insects of the world.

Business owners are gardeners. They take personal risks and dedicate hours of time to provide a service the community needs-- often spending a lifetime in this service having faith that the community, in turn, will sustain them.

If we’re not careful, all the nutrients for our community will be gone. The community garden will wither, and bloom less, and produce smaller fruit.

But a gardener has faith. Faith that people will plant blooming flowers in their yards to beautify the community. Faith that people will continue serving their community, and that they will provide a warm temperate environment for each other. Faith that the community will, in turn, grow and contribute to the environment as well.

I’m a gardener, and gardener has faith. ~ Lisa