Freedom to Choose

 

                                                                                   News4 JAX                           

My husband was poking at a pile of decorative grass that we saved for our garden when all of a sudden we heard SQUEAK, SQUEAK, SQUEAK!

Working nearby, I said, "What was THAT?"

He carefully uncovered a nest of three baby bunnies.  Naturally, he replaced the grass (which had bunny fur embedded in it) and left them alone.

Over the next few days, I would gently lift the grass to see if they were still alive.  Then, one day, as I lifted it, one of the bunnies literally shot out of the nest and took off, bounding into the neighbor's yard.

When I lifted it again, the other two shot out, one running in one direction and the other in the opposite direction.

I was glad they weren't fragile, but my husband spoke my very thoughts. "I wonder if they will make it out there on their own now."

About a week later, we were sitting on the deck and my husband pointed out a baby bird, its head barely visible in the grass.  He saw the mother pecking around at the ground, going over to the baby robin, and feeding it.

After a bit, I looked around, and the baby was nowhere to be found.  I guess it, too, found its way and must have taken off. 

It seems our yard is filled with life this spring and we have had the opportunity to watch nature take its course. Even the bigger bunnies sit and look forlornly at our garden fence, fantasizing that we planted it for them, plotting how they might cross over the fence boundary.

Other, nearly invisible pests, have started eating the leaves of our vegetables, not deterred at all, of course, by our fence.

Gardens are a lot of work.  People like us certainly don't put one in because it is a money saver. In fact, gardens are hard on both backs and knees.

But, we like the veggies. And there's something about getting your hands dirty that puts you in touch with nature (as if the bunnies and birds aren't enough.)

We choose what to plant, where to plant, and our method of planting. Anticipating the outcome is also a wonderful part of the experience.

The freedom to choose is appropriate for planting gardens--not so much for certain other things, if you know what I'm sayin'.

Praise God for all life.  May we always cherish it, and work to protect even the most vulnerable.

Janet Cassidy
janetcassidy.com
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