The Best Childhood Chore (In Retrospect)

I spent a lot of my childhood weeding the garden.

In my exaggerated memory, I spent hours plucking weeds out of garden rows in the hot sun. Yes, it was my daily summer chore . . . . but I probably only put in about 20-minutes a day before escaping this menial labor to eat otter pops and watch cartoon reruns in the cool basement.

It’s funny how something I endlessly complained about as a kid is something I look back on with fondness. Even pride. I helped grow a garden! I shelled peas for dinner! I canned peaches! I took a wagon full of tomatoes and extra zucchini around the neighborhood, trying to offload our extras (so much zucchini!). That chore connected me to something bigger than myself.

On her first week of summer vacation, my teenage daughter spent her mornings working at a local organic farm. By choice, not compulsion! As the farm wrote in their newsletter:

I got to hear stories about bottle-feeding a lamb, transporting chickens, holding bunnies, snacking on fresh peas . . . and lots and lots of weeding.

There really is something to touching earth. To planting a seed and watching it grow. To plucking weeds in the hot sun.

Awe Diary Excerpts, Days 151 - 169

Day 151:

First, a neighbor brought in our trash barrels I had left out all night, Also, I just left a lovely Bar Mitzvah. I wish we had more rituals like this for teens, celebrations of milestones — codifying a community’s support for their growth and well-being.

Day 152:

I was chatting with a teacher at my kids' school, and we discovered we are both super into embroidery. We whipped out our phones to show each other our creations and geek out about designs and stitches! I love unexpected moments of deep connection.

Day 154:

I went into my local indie bookstore and found that they had displayed my book next to a Fred Rogers book! When I expressed my delight, the owner told me she had done that on purpose, because she knows how much I admire Mr. Rogers.

Day 158:

I took my son and my mom to the MFA. My kid decided that, instead of following a map, we would decide "left, right, or straight." Wandering with him, and seeing what he loved made for a delightful afternoon. Of note: we found so many tiny statues of dogs!

Day 162:

Close to 60 people came to my book launch party -- family, neighbors, old friends, new friends, former students, my kid's teachers, community members. What a thing to be surrounded by so much love while celebrating a book about awe and wonder. Want to know what awe looks like (for me) — my face in this moment:

Day 163:

A dear friend sent me flowers on my birthday.

Day 165:

I got a bit teary watching my kids pick out a couple of vinyl records and comic books for their dad at a thrift store for Father's Day. They were so intent on getting him just the right gift.

Day 166:

My 11yo performed in a piano recital today Afterwards, an older piano student -- a teenage boy with incredible musical skills -- sought him out to praise his performance, sharing a specific moment in my son's piece that he enjoyed.It was a moment of micro-mentoring that I imagine my kid will remember for a long time.

Day 169:

My youngest had to go to the eye doctor to learn how to put in contact lenses. It was hard. He was nervous. I sat in the corner and watched him work through his fears in real time. Seeing your kids be brave is really something.

Cheers,

Deborah