It was a sunny Sunday in June. I woke up excited to check on the garden. I quickly threw on workout clothes and headed downstairs. Armando was already up, the coffee just finished brewing. I grabbed a mug, filled it with ice, and poured the hot coffee over it. A few swirls later, the ice started to chill the coffee, and I took a sip, smiling at Armando.
Then, I launched into an enthusiastic rundown of every flower’s progress. I finished my coffee, slid on my sunglasses, grabbed my gardening gloves and pruning shears, and rushed out the back door with the excitement of a child. Freddy, my standard poodle, came running after me. I stepped onto the deck, turned to face the garden, and was instantly filled with serotonin. A gentle breeze carried the fresh scent of soil and flowers, while the sun bathed the garden in warm light, making everything feel alive and vibrant. The garden had just begun to bloom, and it was beautiful.
I walked down the deck stairs, grabbed the hose, and entered the garden with a smile from ear to ear. I set the hose down and slowly wandered around, taking it all in. The zinnias were taller than yesterday, and some of their buds were starting to open up. The sunflowers, nearly as tall as I was, still had their buds tightly closed. The black-eyed Susans were beginning to bloom, their long, bright yellow petals slowly unfolding to soak up the sun.
I walked to the other side of the garden and saw the dahlias, still just tall stalks with more leaves than flowers. And then, I saw them, the snapdragons, in full bloom. Standing about three feet tall, their flowers were a mix of yellow, purple, and white. The blooms had a closed, lip-like shape, and bees buzzed in and out, drawn to their nectar. It was a sight of pure beauty.
I stood there in silence, simply admiring the beauty of nature. I grabbed my phone and took way too many pictures and videos to count. Then, I ran back inside to grab a large plastic cup and filled it with water. I returned to the garden and placed the cup on the ground next to the snapdragons. Taking out my pruners, I carefully cut my very first bunch of flowers to bring inside. I stripped the leaves from each stem and set the flowers gently in the cup of water.
As I held the plastic cup filled with snapdragons, I took a moment to feel gratitude for this simple, beautiful gift from nature. I can’t believe I actually did it, I thought to myself. I started all of these flowers from seed, and now they’re starting to bloom. The funny part is, I never planned to grow snapdragons. I picked up a packet from Menards because they were on sale and I had room in the garden.
But that’s the thing about life, sometimes, your curiosity and goals lead you somewhere unexpected. It’s like a snapdragon suplex, something you never saw coming, but it knocks you off your feet in the best possible way.
I didn’t know anything about snapdragons, but I fell in love with them from the moment their tiny seeds started sprouting. Watching them grow from a speck of a seed to these beautiful, unique flowers was the bloom of my perseverance.
Gardening isn’t easy. It’s hard work, preparing the soil, dealing with pests, and, above all, requiring a lot of patience. There are days when you wonder if the effort is worth it, when it feels like nothing is growing at all. But then, moments like this happen: the reward of seeing something you’ve nurtured come to life and it all feels worth it.
And one of my favorite parts of having a garden? The bees. But I’ll save that story for another time.
In many ways, gardening has become a metaphor for life itself. It’s not just about the end result, but about enjoying the process, the dreaming, the hard work, and the hope that things will turn out as planned. But here’s the thing: sometimes, when you start working on your dreams, they take you somewhere unexpected and that’s okay. We often get so caught up in the outcome that we forget to be present for the journey.
There’s a quiet magic in being here, in every small moment: the first sprout, the dirt on your hands, the sunlight dancing on the petals. It’s easy to fixate on what’s next, on the finish line. But I’ve learned that the most fulfilling moments are the ones you don’t rush toward. It’s in the quiet satisfaction of simply being in the moment, dreaming and growing as you go. And that’s where the real beauty lies.
And remember, think happy thoughts!