The Garden
A healthy harvest requires both weeding and nourishment.
When planting a garden we must consider a number of things. What kind of soil do we have to work with? What kind of crops can be supported? What resources exist? What seasons and climate do we have available to us? Is it a sustainable effort? It is up to us to determine whether or not the conditions and resources we have will yield a meaningful result, or if we have to change the conditions or environment if we desire a bountiful harvest.
We are each given a limited amount of time, energy, and ability with which to work. It is up to us to be good stewards of these resources in order to ensure our success. If we plant crops and fail to nourish them, or to weed out the things that could choke them out, we will likely find that our yield will suffer as a result. This holds true in almost every other aspect of our lives too.
If we apply these same considerations to our lives, our relationships, and our aspirations we often find similar constraints. The effort and care that we put into these make all the difference in the end result that we will have to show for our labors. If we spend time cultivating our relationships with friends, family, and loved ones we will likely have deep and meaningful connections and shared experiences. If we dedicate time and effort to our interests or professions it is likely that we will improve our abilities and talents, if diligently tended. If we work to maintain our health and well being, we are generally rewarded with more time and ability to enjoy this experience, with limited exceptions.
Our communities and Lodges are no different. If we spend the time and care required to cultivate new members they will grow and propagate. If we provide education, counsel, and effort we might see them flourish and carry into the future. If we build strong connections we can survive harsher conditions and circumstances during lean seasons than those ill tended. However, if we fail to weed out the things that might cause disharmony, it can lead to devastating effects, wiping out all of the effort and resources expended. In some cases failure to tend our harvest might even lead to a blight, preventing any future attempts, at least for a time.
It ultimately comes down to what we desire for our lives to produce, and carry beyond us for future generations. Only we are able to determine how much time and care we are willing to put into the things that will eventually become our legacy, for better or worse.
Join us in the next Travelers article as we consider the ways in which our past, present, and future affect and are affected by our actions, or lack thereof. Explore the concept of “Dómr” and how the court of time and memory is tightly coupled with Legacy. Join us as we consider fate, and the manner in which we choose to meet it.