Word Garden

My daughter has gotten very involved in gardening lately and some of her gardening enthusiasm is transferring over to me. I have a few little yard projects popping up here and there, mostly maintenance, but a few new jobs too.

I then start to think things like – "Hey, everything is a garden!" For instance, I decided my bird feeder and bird bath area with its visiting birds is my Bird Garden!

I got the inspiration for this article when I was waking up one morning, likely thinking about something I needed to do in the yard: The words we speak or write are a Garden! I can do a mental inventory of my Word Garden. 

• Is it pretty? Do I smell a sweet fragrance when I meander down the path?  ~ Are my words easy to hear, listen to or act on if called for? Are they appropriately pleasant, sincere, stern, informative, or directive? Is my communication clear and concise?
• Do I need to cultivate? Cultivation brings air, water and nutrients to the roots. ~ Do I use the same tired phrases or expressions? Am I conforming too much to trends? How can I get what's needed to the "roots" so my words are more robust and productive? Am I paying attention to others' words?
• Have I done any fertilizing? ~ What have I been reading to add to my perspective, knowledge base and personal culture? Have I been intentional about enriching my communication? How about visiting events and venues? Absolutely the most important fertilizer for my garden of Words-have I been a good listener, especially to those I don’t agree with?
• Is everything growing, budding, producing fruit? ~ Is what I say/write effective? Is it blessing others, making changes, working, relaying information and feelings, building other people up, admonishing when called for, encouraging?
• What about weeds? ~ Do any of my words distract of detract?
• Especially important, are there thorns?  ~ Sometimes we have to say hard things, but there is a right and wrong way. 

My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece. – 

Claude Monet