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Gifts We Share


"The emotional place where a marriage begins is not nearly as important as the emotional place where a marriage finds itself after many years of partnership."
(Elizabeth Gilbert)

My collard greens had grown up once again and had burst in yellow blooms. The Swiss chard was not to be outdone with its bright red stems and purplish green gigantic leaves. Even the onions had flowery balls coming out its stems. I completely enjoy this task of cutting down my harvest and filling up my basket. I have been able to do it several times since planting. There is just something about being able to eat vegetables that you plant and tend to. It's the best of two worlds, pleasing to the eye and tasty to eat! I was especially proud of my green onions--so many in a bunch! I was already looking forward to future pickings as I saw how fast my raspberry bush had sprung up from its winter nap.

So with great pride, I walked into the room with my freshly washed, fragrant onions to show my husband. "Look," I said thrusting the bundle before him, "these are from my garden!" He smiled with me, and at that moment I realized why we're both content. Sometimes you wonder what is it that you bring into a relationship, what do you really offer? What keeps your joy?

I think that it's "our gifts". My husband brings me airplanes and helicopters that he builds or new devices for his hobby that he's designed. I bring him roses, snapdragons, irises, and sweet peas from my garden and now I show off onions! Obviously our gifts are different but that's what makes the journey rich. To relish in each other's interests is just like feasting on the harvest. The more you sow, you reap, you get . . .

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