May 2009 Newsletter from Inspired Path, Inc.

Recovering From a Long, Hard Winter

Cleaning Up the Mess and Moving On

At long last, the winter is over! No more snow. No more endlessly dark days. Spring is officially here and it's beginning to show! I'm out in my garden every day now. My attention is focused on what needs to be done to repair the damage from the harsh winter and help the garden into its full summer splendor.

It is an interesting process in the garden right now. Our winter was very harsh and I've lost a number of plants. Some large shrubs that I've had for 9 years decided that this particular hard winter was the last straw. They've given up!

It has become necessary to remove the dead plants and replace them. Some are obviously dead. It's easy to tell that they are not coming back.

Other plants are more questionable. They seem to have some 'signs of life' but in general, they too look like they are at death's door at best.

I'm carefully evaluating each plant. Some that have struggled for their entire life, but really lost ground this winter, simply need to be replaced. It's time to give up on them and replace them with something that will better tolerate the conditions of my particular landscape.

Some plants that show some signs of life, I've decided to cut back to the 'core' and give them time to recover. They certainly don't look pretty. These plants are stripped of all their dead foliage, and are nothing but a skeleton of branches. If they survive, it will take several years for them to look good again, and contribute positively to the landscape. In the meantime, they will be in 'recovery mode.'

It is difficult to let go of some of these dead plants. They've been with me for a long time in my garden. I remember what they looked like when they were healthy and vibrant. Remembering 'what was' and trying to pretend that it 'still is' is futile. These plants are dead. Nothing will bring them back. I have to let them go.

As I work in my garden to handle winter's carnage, I'm reminded of the similar process that we all must go through continuously in our lives. Sometimes, things die: relationships, careers, our plans, ways of thinking, and even our dreams sometimes cease to exist the way we once knew them. We have to let them go. It isn't easy. Sometimes we aren't sure they are really dead! Sometimes there is a little life left in them and we feel compelled to try to nurture that spark back into a flame. Other times we deceive ourselves into believing that there is something still alive, even when the opposite is true: they are dead.

The best we can do is make our most honest determination about the true 'state' of something in our life. If it's dead, we need to grieve the loss and gracefully release it.

If we think there might be life 'at the core' then we need to cut out all the dead wood and see if it can be resurrected. If we undertake this process, however, we need to know that we must be patient. The recovery might take a while, and in the meantime, it might look unattractive and awkward. We have to be willing to put in the time and patience to allow it to heal and flourish. Sometimes we are willing and able to do this. Sometimes we aren't. If we aren't, it is actually better for all involved to let go... and move on to something new.

In our gardens, and in our lives, we have to recover and repair the damage that hard winters, and harsh realities leave in their wake. That is part of life's journey. There is learning available to us in these experiences, if we open our eyes and our minds to it. Coming through a hard winter in our lives isn't always easy, but the gifts are there for us if we are willing to do the clean up work. It isn't always easy or pleasant, but the gorgeous summer beckons! If we are willing to do the work, then we can reap the rewards this summer and for all the summers to follow.

Dedication, patience and wisdom can guide our actions as we decide what to nurture through it's rehabilitation, and what we let go of, grieve and move on from. It's part of the process of learning how to skillfully live this life!

Whatever your winter, I wish you a peaceful and conscious recovery. Let go of all that has died. Nurture what you are willing to help heal and resurrect. Enjoy all that has survived the difficult time. Celebrate and revel in the life that remains!