Sowing Seeds
Here in central Iowa, it’s been a Spring. I mean, I was thinking if it was unusual or unique or interesting. And really? It’s just been … Spring.
We had days of really nice weather, temps in the 50s and 60s. Then, a cold front would come through, and it’d be back in the 40s for a while. It seemed we had extended days of rain and cloud cover. That chilly, damp weather that says “hey, it’s okay to snuggle up under a blanket, forget about life for a while, and binge Star Trek all day.”
After days of helicopter droppings, it’s time for some housework.
One thing I have noticed is there seems to be an abundance of “helicopter thingys” this year. You know, the seedy pods that spin as they fall to the ground? Mostly from maple trees, these seeds are also known as “maple keys,” “whirlybirds,” or “polynoses.” (Thanks, FindAnyAnswer.com!) They can be fun to pick up, flick into the air, and watch them cycle down to the ground again. They can not be so much fun scooping them out of a gutter.
Nevertheless, it seems like this year, the maples have dropped, literally, thousands of them just on my house alone! I mentioned it to my neighbor as she was picking them out of her garden.
“Feelsl like there’s an awful lot of the helicopters this year?” I asked.
One milllllion seeds…
“I know! I’ve been cleaning them up for days!” she said, as she stretched out her back.
I could go on; just trust me, there’s been a lot, A LOT, of them this year.
Watching them gather on my yard, the roof, in the gutters got me to thinking. What’s the good in all these seeds if someone’s going to come along and scoop them out or run over them with the mower?
Even then, those that survive are buried under a pile of their fellow ‘copters, soaking up the rain, relishing in the sun.
Yet, in each crack in my driveway, scattered amongst my hostas, every missed pile of ‘copters in the yard, sprouts start to emerge. New growth, new opportunity, new challenges. All in the hopes of taking root, growing, and maybe one day, years from now, being being enough to drop its own helicopters. The patience and faith a maple has is amazing:
It drops thousands, if not more, seeds ever year.
Most of those seeds don’t survive.
Many of those surviving don’t sprout.
Of those that do sprout, many are plucked or eaten by deer before they can take root.
Yet, some do take root. They grow into a beautiful tree that provides shade for us to enjoy, helps clean the oxygen, inspires ideas for a blog.
Be the maple tree. Make contacts to spread your message and plant your seeds. Accept that many may not lead to anything. But know, believe, that a few are going to make it and grow into something magnificent.
Spread you ideas, dreams, connections to grow into something awesome!