No Place to Put the Dirt

I've never been much for gardening - when push comes to shove, I'll take white gravel and pink flamingos anyday -
but I live in the South and women are supposed to garden. It's supposed to be about heritage and image but I wonder if maybe we just like to dig holes. We all do it in life often enough and as I approach my 58th birthday, it seems to be on my mind more often than not. I suppose when we give up the idea that life will last forever and that there will always be time for everything - to apologize, hear the music, hug a friend, stroke a cat, laugh,
shed real tears, make love, create time for ourselves, pray, reach out - that's when we realize exactly how precious and how brief life really is.

Live, love, laugh, and be grateful. Every day really is a gift. And if you find yourself in a hole, remember that there are two ways out. You can dig or you can climb but digging is going to take a long time and there's no place to put the dirt. If you climb, you're much more likely to find an outstretched hand to help you up.

July 10, 2006