Swingset vs. Garden
Have you ever read something that seems to be speaking directly to you? Like it was written with you in mind? And you have to read it again because you’re in disbelief? This was the feeling I had after reading Maira Kalman’s NY Times blog post, Back to the Land. I’ve read it again and again. It’s absolutely brilliant.
And moving. Well, moving me to replace the swingset with an edible garden. I don’t know if this was Kalman’s intention, but I think Thomas Jefferson would approve. I’ve been itching to dig my fingers into this well-defined area of our backyard for awhile now. But I keep putting it off. It feels wrong to dismantle the swing and the slide. From my experience, they are the crowned jewels of childhood.
But then I read this piece. Dammit.
And in it, I read this quote from Cicero: “If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”
How do you explain that to a two-year-old?
Something is calling me to begin a family garden. How cool would it be to make our own veggie pizza on Friday nights? Maybe there’s a new family ritual in our future. Or maybe I’m being a Pollyanna. I just can’t get Cicero out of my head.
**This post is a part of the Moms’ 30 Minute Blog Challenge at Steady Mom**
