Cut Grass

 

The smell of freshly cut grass just makes me breath deeply - I want to fill my nose with it and save it. Smells really don't save but the grass grows quickly, giving me the opportunity to try to get my fill each time I mow the lawn. We have a reel (or push) mower, just like the one my father used when I was a child. Using it is an Experience. Really. It is certainly more physical than using a power mower - increasing heart rate and actually using muscle to get the job done. For me the experience includes wonderful memories; waking early with the sun, feeling secure and happy in my bed, my dad whistling, the whir of the mower as he cut the grass. As I push the mower along I feel connected to him. I remember the tremendous sense of accomplishment I felt the first time I mowed the lawn - we had a very large lot and it was a ton of work for someone under the age of 12. I can't imagine that I did a very good job that first time but I felt good about the job I did and although I am sure my dad would have loved to go over the lawn so that it did look good he was wise enough to let me feel proud of what I had done.

I love working in the garden - the weeding, the harvesting, the nurturing - but cutting the grass is probably the garden chore that I enjoy the most. It takes time with a good old-fashioned reel mower - a job that really cannot be hurried or short-cut. And that reminds me each time to slow down and take the time to savor not only cutting the grass but whatever it is that I am doing. Because if I choose to do it I should choose to do it well, and doing it well almost always means being mindful, taking care, and finding satisfaction in doing my best.