Dear Reader:
Don’t we all remember our first taste of any kind of knowledge of world history? It all started with the notion of early man being divided into two roles by gender- male hunters and female gatherers…Even as an elementary student with no concept of world history…it did seem unfair to me that man got to be the hunter and woman got stuck with the gathering.
Surely there were some women warriors mixed in with the dinosaur slayers….but since nobody could tell her story through writings…these female warriors just faded from history.
Today, however, with men and women hunting and gathering (dual roles) side by side…we have to look for one more role (that sets humans apart from our ancient ancestors) to bring spiritual meaning into our existence…the role of scattering. Hunters, Gatherers, and Scatterers.
Helen Walton is credited for the quote:
“It’s not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived. Let’s scatter the good things.”
Do you see the two “water” jugs on the bench below? Well one holds the water securely in the container and the other has a tiny hole in it that manages to shoot me in the face every time I unconsciously squeeze it near the bottom and it also drizzles droplets of water wherever I go.
Logically…I should just throw the leaking gallon jug away…I do have other jugs to water the hanging baskets on the trees…but do I? No! Like an idiot I continue to fill it up and drip water on my kitchen floor, my deck and squirt myself like the clown with the squirting flower… over and over.
If you asked me why I simply don’t get rid of it…I would have no answer…maybe it is the challenge of getting through one plant watering without soaking myself. Human beings are strange…or at least this blogger definitely is.
The leaking water container, however,has brought back a memory of an anecdote with a message that I always liked…so maybe that is why I kept it. See if you remember this story and message. It’s been around the block a few times.
An elderly Chinese woman had 2 large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck. One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect & always delivered a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full 2 years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only 1 1/2 pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, & miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. ‘I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.’
The old woman smiled, ‘Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?’ ‘That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, & every day while we walk back, you water them.’ For 2 years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.’
………………………..
Don’t we all want to leave “scatterings” of ourselves around when we are gone? I know I am guilty of wanting these “scatterings” of memory to be strong, positive ones. But yet…aren’t the best family stories the funny ones about our mistakes we made along the way?
Isn’t leaving a “scattering” of smiles and chuckles behind us….perhaps better than a “scattering” of serious and sad memories of our departure…over-riding our embarkation of life with arms flung wide open?
So until tomorrow…Let us remember that scattering sometimes takes awhile to show itself to others…but when it does…it tells the most accurate version of our life story…the story of what we leave behind.
“Today is my favorite day” Winnie the Pooh
Speaking of “scattering” Anne stopped by (last evening) with some birthday breakfast muffins (that I adore) and a pretty little birthday card on friendship….what was inside? A bag filled with milkweed seeds to attract the monarch butterflies….perfect timing for yesterday’s weeds and wildflowers theme. I am working on my trough to put them in first thing in the morning! “Scattering those seeds”!
*Yesterday Jackson got some good news, bad news from her dermatologist…the cells around the mole removed from her back showed melanoma but it appears to be contained with no need for an oncologist/ checking lymph glands. etc/ and all that stuff…..but she will have to have one more surgery to clear the margins.
Please keep Jackson, her sister Em (who is helping her through the nursing and bandage changing) in your prayers ….Jackson returns to get the stitches out today and will know more about the strategy on how to proceed from here.
*Gin-g emailed me with wonderful news….she is now the proud grandmother of a grandson.!!!…Three little granddaughters and now a grandson to love on…..Congratulations Paul and Stacy! Gin-g and Fred! So happy for everyone! The baby’s name is: Jonathan Paul, Jr….he will be called JP!
And speaking of leaving “scatterings” Susan just experienced this first hand. ( See the picture with her and Michael Lopez…former music student)- He says:
Today, Palmetto Bronze performed at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Myrtle Beach and I was lucky enough to see someone whom I hadn’t seen in about 14 years!
This woman right here was my elementary school music teacher, and when I was in 2nd grade, she saw something in me and offered to stay after school with me and give me piano lessons!
I would not be the musician I am today without your guidance, and for that I am eternally grateful! You will never know the impact you’ve made on my life! Thank you!!! 💕💕
Fall officially “fell” this morning a little after 4 a.m. Now let’s hope it’s “scatterings” bring us cool days and slightly chilly nights, woodsy smells, the taste of s’mores, and so much more! (At 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday while typing …the coolest breezes have been blowing in my open window by the computer…Fall snuck in early for me….loving it!)
The next two days are going to be kinda crazy so I will go on and give you the Susan G. Komen information today to end the blog race info for this week… before I forget again.
*UPDATE ON OUR PROGRESS: LEGALLY PINK SET OUR GOAL FOR $1500 this year AND AS OF TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 WE ARE ALMOST HALF-WAY THERE! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WE HAVE RAISED $ 655 TOWARDS OUR GOAL-43%. WE ARE KEEPING ON KEEPING ON….DON’T FORGET THE RACE IS OCTOBER 17!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because of our progress the team received some grilling charms that can be used to identify whose steak, chicken, or pork chop is grilling away….rare, medium or well done. We definitely are the “Little Pink that Could.”
If you would like to donate but would rather send a check than go the electronic route….here is the new address….the headquarters moved this year.
*Make the check out to Komen Lowcountry Race for the Cure
(on the bottom left of your check you can either write the name of our team (Legally Pink) or an individual on the team or both if you can squeeze it all in!) Either way we will receive it…) Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart!
Mail to:
Susan G. Komen Lowcountry – 50 Folly Road Charleston, SC 29407
Electronic donation:
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
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Glad my post can help in any way.