TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

Community Outreach Academy  - TO EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the concept of seasons … seasons of the year, seasons of holidays, seasons in our years on this earth and particularly the harvest season that is upon us: Harvest is the season to reap the rewards of seeds well-planted and well-tended.

In another era our grandparents and great-grandparents survival was dependent on their ability to farm – to plant and water and maintain and prune and then eventually – harvest. Everyone in the family had responsibili-ties to ensure that the farm produced a healthy harvest. From that harvest the family would meet their needs; they would sell some, they would share some, they would store some and they would then have food through the long cold winter.

 

And still today, families reap what they sow – as parents we reap what we sow. Parenting is a lot like farming – it’s about building the soil, planting seeds, nurturing the seedlings and the hard work of weeding and watering and maintaining until –the harvest. Our children, like plants, need a rich soil (lovingfamilies with consistent expectations; healthy food, play andsleep). They need to be watered with experiences such asreading, art, music, athletics and dance. Like the farmer, par-ents are watching their ‘plants’ (children) and looking at inter-ventions or support or ways to address any issues that mayoccur.

Soon enough our children will be grown and the ‘harvest’ will come – and in these days of laboring and striving, we want to protect our children – like the farmer seeks to protect his crop from weather, elements, poor soil and anything else he has control over. Farming and parenting are both combinations of law and love, responsibility and compassion, diligence and grace – and what we want is a healthy robust harvest; healthy, happy, compassionate/caring, successful adults.

As a parent we are called to do everything we can to reap the best harvest in the climate we’ve been given and we’re here for the long haul. There will be seasons before the harvest. Seasons of love, seasons of tears, seasons of joy and more. Remembering that ‘to everything there is a season’ allows us to slow down and appreciate this season, this school year and this moment in your child’s life. I hope this harvest season you pause long enough to appreciate the growing crop (children) you have been given and to re-commit for the long haul to your role in nurturing them to greatness.

Dr. Cindy Petersen, GCC Superintendent

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