Personal Renewal – Taking Care of Ourselves

This is an original post written by contributing writer Kelly.

“When you recover or discover something that
nourishes your soul and brings joy,
care enough about yourself
to make room for it in your life.”
~Jean Shinoda Bolen

Anyone who knows me would probably describe me as an avid gardener.  I love gardening.  Gardening didn’t really make it’s way onto my life radar-screen until my early thirties.  Chasing career goals had taken up most of my twenties, yet when I came home to be a stay-at-home mom, one of my priorities was to prepare and eat only whole-food.  Organic food prices were prohibitive, so I began a small container garden.

I enjoyed growing my own food so much, that I frequently dreamed of a house out in the country.  My dreams of a large garden, my own chickens and fruit orchard seemed quite far out of reach for many years.  Yet, now at the age of 47, my dream of a small farm out in the country has come true, just this year.

I can’t explain why growing and preserving food is so fulfilling for me.  My childhood didn’t include this kind of thing.  Growing up in the South, I did a lot of fishing and orange squeezing, but no gardening to speak of.

With a large family, you might wonder how I have the time to garden.  Quite frankly, I don’t have time not to garden.  Let me explain.  Life is pretty busy with 9 children, ages 24 down to age 3.  My days are full to the max and my mind is on overload most of the time.  Serving and ministering to the needs of my family are my first priority.

Here’s the secret, though.  Mom can’t give 24/7 and not nourish her own soul. 

I can’t afford not to take care of my own needs.

The risk would be complete burn-out, thus rendering me useless to anyone, including myself. Balance must be present in my life, it’s not optional if I am to stay emotionally healthy and motivated each day.

While I would like to be in my garden every hour of the day with my little ones, life doesn’t work that way.  However, first thing in the morning, before anyone is up, I take a quick stroll to the garden and turn my compost.  I may water my fruit trees and then come in for coffee and dishwasher duty.

Later in the morning, after homeschooling and chores are done, I’ll walk out there again and pull a few weeds as I listen to the birds.  There’s always a toad or a butterfly to greet me, which only takes a few minutes.

In the early evening, I may send a child out to pick some lettuce and tomato for dinner. The taste of home-grown tomatoes is unbelievable.

Finally, after our evening meal, I’ll take the compost bucket out to be emptied.  Bending over to pull a weed or two is my usual habit.

I know what energizes and balances me and I make time for it in my life.

Fortunately, my entire family benefits from the fresh food and I enjoy the satisfaction of gardening.  Win/Win!

Kelly Morris is a wife and mother to 9 children, 6 biological and 3 adopted, living in small town Ohio.  She can often be found blogging, writing, reading, cooking, gardening, digital scrapbooking and drinking good coffee.  Kelly authors “The Morristribe: Creating Balance for Busy Moms” and loves helping other moms find balance in their lives.