Lessons I’ve learned from weeding

Weeding is an arduous business. It takes time, attention to detail, and patience to create a beautiful lawn or garden. I know, because I’ve done my fair share of weeding in my grandpa’s backyard. Many lessons I’ve learned from weeding, though, extend far beyond the garden.

Time is precious, but giving of yourself is never wasted

I lived with my grandparents until the age of two. Post-grad, I moved back to the town where my mom, aunt, and grandparents live. I’ve memorized the curve in the road, the red geraniums perched in pots flanking each side of the driveway, my grandpa’s red tractor, and the hills of the yard. My grandpa took a lot of pride in his lawn and, frankly, everything he owned. He treated his belongings as if he just brought them home from the store and didn’t want the “new” to rub off. 

My grandpa set a striking example of taking care of things, and not just material items, but also one’s health, intellect, and creativity. If my grandpa had a mission statement for how he lives his life, it would be: Give your talents back to glorify God. 

Whether it’s weeding, teaching catechism class, or parenting, self-gift opens us up to new opportunities, not just eternally, but in the now. It expands our capacity to give, to be vulnerable, and to truly love. Self-gift strengthens and challenges the virtues we possess, and it highlights the ones we hope to have in the future. Our perspective shifts toward gratitude and reality, rather than a view where everything revolves around ourselves.

Touch grass, it’s understimulating 

I grew up with a smart phone like most of Gen Z and as a result, weeding was a bit uncomfortable for me. Working all day, I would turn on a podcast or listen to music. After eating lunch with my grandma, it was back to weeding. Towards the afternoon, I would be forced to face the silence. I just couldn’t bring myself to listen to anything else and needed a break.

Once I fully surrendered to it, I found myself catching my breath and becoming more present where I was. My senses were heightened to the world around me. I simply enjoyed nature. I encountered God in the silence and natural beauty He created. I found true rest and it was priceless. Disconnecting from the constant stimulation and noise of the world to be fully present without distraction in a single moment and place offers a much-needed reset for body, mind, and spirit.

Remove the bad seeds of perfectionism and procrastination

Weeding never ends. You can always find a new offshoot or uncover another stray root. The perfect weed-free yard doesn’t exist. Nature teaches us that perfectionism is for the birds. Do your best, control what you can, and let God do the rest. 

Still, if you ignore your yard for too long, it becomes an overgrown mess. Whether it’s tough and inevitable conversations with your spouse or attending to your prayer life, leaving what can be done today for tomorrow usually doesn’t go well. It’s far better to start rather than wait for the perfect moment.

Good things take time 

Weeding taught me that returning to the same task again and again doesn’t mean something is wrong. Growth isn’t rushed. I don’t have to hurry or prove my worth for my work, hobbies, or relationships to matter. It’s not about measuring up or comparing. It’s about doing my best and returning to what I love.

Our call is to faithfully use the gifts we’ve been given to serve others and glorify God. The rest unfolds in its own time. Measure your life by its fruit, not its pace. After all, everything worth growing is a sustained process.