Planting and Lunatics

I recently read a story about a man named, Leonard Woolf. He and his wife were writers during World War II and during the reign of Hitler.

Austin Kleon writes in his blog, 

"Leonard Woolf had listened to Hitler's 'savage and insane ramblings' on the radio with his wife, Virginia. One day, when he was out in his orchard, she called out to him that the lunatic was back on the radio. 'I shan't come!' he shouted back at her. 'I'm planting iris, and they will be flowering long after he is dead!." 

Sure enough, after Hitler took his life in a bunker and his reign of terror came to an end, Mr. Woolf's garden continued to bloom for years to come.

I started to think about work and meaning, and how I want my days on this earth to matter. I started to think about what voices I listen to and what I allow to consume the time and energy I have been given. 

Sometimes, the most valuable work we do isn't the kind we get a paycheck for. It certainly can be, but it's not always. I want to know that perhaps in some way I helped cultivate beauty and grace that will remain long after I am gone. I think we all probably hope for this.

Do you have an equivalent of 'Planting Iris?' I don't know what your life experience is or what your gifts are, but I do know that you have something to bring to the table, something to cultivate, something to nurture, grow, and invest in beyond the "here and now."

Much love XO,

Sherdonna