I love quotes and one I heard recently resonated deeply with me. Audrey Hepburn said, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”

How true this is. Nothing about planting a garden gives instantaneous results. To start with, seeds need to be planted in the right environment to reach their full potential. The soil needs to be prepared and then the seeds require nurturing. If I plant but do not care for by watering and removing weeds, the seedlings will wither rather than flourish.

I was reminded of this when a twelve-year-old photo popped up on my screen recently. It showed my husband and two of our young grandchildren standing at our backyard vegetable garden. He was busy helping them pick and shell peas. Their excitement at popping these sweet morsels into their mouths made the work of tending to the garden that much more rewarding. They also learned to loosen the soil around carrots in order to get more than the tops when they pulled. There’s nothing like the crunch of a carrot, freshly pulled and rinsed under the garden hose.

Our garden wasn’t large but there was always plenty to share. Although it was never actually said, I’m certain that spending time in the garden with grandchildren was one of the main reasons for panting it.

Over the years, grandchildren grew, the garden was of less interest and we eventually moved to a condo. The gardening years were over in one sense but still very much alive in another. We believed in our grandchildren and from the time they were very young, sowed seeds of love, understanding and patience. The seeds were nurtured with time together and watered with joy and laughter.

Each of our grandchildren flourished in their own way and have now blossomed into young adults I am proud of. As I watch them plant new seeds in their lives today, I know my hope for tomorrow is in good hands.