A Year of Gratitude – August 3, 2024

I held a bit of gratitude in the palm of my hand today. And yes, you would think that as a person who makes baskets that I might carry one with me when I head out to the garden. You’d be wrong because I find myself in the garden without one more often that I would care to admit.

I went out to the garden to pick a bit of basil to add to our dinner. I saw a few Black Cherry tomatoes that needed to be picked. Then there were a few Black Prince tomatoes ripe and ready to bring in the house. The more I moved through the garden, the more tomatoes I found that needed to be picked and brought into the house.

Suddenly, my hands were full. I can’t be anything but thankful for that. After all of these years of gardening, I am still awestruck that a tiny plant I move into a garden bed in the spring can withstand heat, humidity, summer storms, and garden pests to produce food for our family to eat. It’s really amazing when you stop and think about it.

I did stop and think about it today. When I did, I was filled with gratitude. This was only a small harvest, one that I could fit (just barely) in the palm of my hand. Yet it was still something to be proud of, to be mindful of, and to be eager to bring back into the house where I could share it with the people I love.

It’s really no wonder that I plant a garden every year. It produces delicious food for our family table and reasons for me to be filled with gratitude. Very few activities can achieve both.

Maybe tomorrow I’ll remember to take a basket with me, but I’ll probably forget. Again.

This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.