Before the bloom: Life lessons from the garden

For many North Idaho gardeners, early March means it’s time to start seeds indoors.

Tiny pots, grow lights and careful watering begin the long, time-consuming process that eventually leads to summer harvests.

But gardening teaches more than patience with plants; it offers lessons about growth in our own lives.

From a young age, the idea that a tiny, shriveled seed can grow into something big has never ceased to amaze me. However, what we often overlook is that much of the growth happens underground, out of sight. Seeds do not sprout overnight; they grow slowly and steadily. When the first young leaf finally pushes through the soil, it looks like growth is just beginning, but really it is the culmination of the growth that occurred beneath the surface all along.

People often refer to “a season of growth” in our lives, or perhaps remind us that “you will grow from this.” As a senior in high school, I have heard this a lot lately.

But what exactly does it mean to be in “a season of growth?”

Well, it may mean that like those little seeds, we are still beneath the soil, growing in ways others cannot see. Every little unseen action slowly shapes who we become. This might be as simple as picking up a piece of trash others walked past or holding the door for someone. It’s the little things that grow our character, even when they go without recognition.

What if you are facing a trial? Believe it or not, trials can help us grow. Gardeners starting seeds indoors see this principle through a process called “hardening off.” This crucial step is when you take your fragile, gangly plants and place them outside in harsher elements. After being carefully tended to indoors, the time comes to expose them to wind and rain. Over time, they adapt to their environment. Plants that once bent in the slightest breeze now stand tall and strong. Without that exposure, the plants would never become strong enough to grow and bloom on their own.

In a similar way, the challenges we face may be strengthening us for the future, preparing us to stand firm when the storms of life begin to blow. Only after enduring all this can the start finally be planted in the ground. It will continue to grow slowly and steadily until, at the right time, in the right environment, it produces a harvest of vegetables, fruits or flowers. All the care, time and maybe even hope and prayer that went into the starts are rewarded. What was once a shriveled seed has grown into a bountiful plant, but to bloom, it had to patiently endure its season of growth.

With springtime and gardening season right around the corner, look at each new sprout and bud as a reminder to be patient in the season you are in. Whether you are still growing beneath the surface through small, unnoticed actions, or feel like those fragile plants set out in the wind, remember this: Before anything can bloom, it must first embrace the growth

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Gracelyn Schmalz is a high school senior at Center Christian School.

    Schmalz