Friends are like Flowers in the Garden of Life
Flowers are bursting into bloom all over Baton Rouge this week, reminding me of the song our three children sang at their various kindergarten graduation programs. It’s titled “Friends are like Flowers in the Garden of Life.” (If you’re curious, you can find it on YouTube). While I’ve seen some beautiful gardens in my travels across the country, I’m always glad to get home to our own gardens filled with roses, azaleas, camellias, magnolias and hydrangeas.
While some of our flowering plants have given us years of enjoyment, we’ve given up on others that were too much trouble. Several were high maintenance and required constant attention. A few wilted easily with too much sun or not enough water. Some were sensitive to extremes of hot and cold. Others never bloomed and required too much work for the amount of enjoyment they provided.
How would you describe your friends? Like most of us, you probably have some who are high maintenance and require constant attention. A few may “wilt” easily under stress and tend to whine and complain. Others are overly sensitive so you have to be careful with everything you say and do. And we’ve all probably let go of at least one friendship over the years that required too much work for the amount of enjoyment it provided.
And then there are other friends who supply us with hours of fun and laughter in good times, along with comfort and care in rough times. True friendships are a blessing. We often take our friendships – and our friends – for granted, but they still need our care and attention. Since tending our gardens requires physical effort but very little brain power, why not spend your next gardening time thinking about the friends you hold near and dear? Are you staying in touch? If not, why not? Have you been meaning to call, write a note or send a text or email?
Whether they live across town or across the world, reconnecting with a friend can bring you great joy. Just like flowers, friendships need care and attention to survive and flourish. Otherwise, they may wither, dry up and fade away. A major challenge in maintaining the friendships in our busy lives is finding the time – or making the time – to stay in touch. Is now the time? Happy gardening!
