Pull the Weeds When There are Few
Dear Friends:
My late dad would be happy.
After a lifetime of caring for his Mother and then our family, he was able to retire. One of his favorite post-retirement hobbies was maintaining a good-size vegetable garden in his yard.
Some days, he could be found sitting on a small cement bench near his garden, the morning sun warming his back, a glass of tomato juice in hand, and a statue of the Blessed Mother before him. It was his meditation place. He told me: "Tommy, if you don't pray today, you never will...".
When we bought the new Hylane Home, the front garden needed a lot of attention, but it echoed the setting of my father's yard. And when the moms and daughters of Orchard Lake St. Mary's offered the proceeds from their brunch to the residents of Angels' Place, a Marian garden seemed to be a providential investment.
As contractors configured the interior, volunteers weeded, and trimmed, and mulched, and watered. Old shrubs were removed, bricks were stacked, some new seed was planted. A statue, flowers, a planter, and a bench were purchased.
At the home's grand opening, everything was perfect - to me, especially the garden.
The residents' families are grateful for what has been created. Several paused at the Marian garden.
Returning to the home last week, it was still pretty and peaceful, but weeds had started to grow there.
And again, thoughts turned to my dad. "Pull the weeds when they are few...Stay ahead of the game...Pray for the gentle 'garden' rain...Enjoy the beauty of what has been created/"
And these moments are an apt metaphor for the entire project. We bought the Hylane Home as one step in a longer process - anticipating the usual, ongoing home improvement needs and the future needs of the residents. Pulling weeds when there are few. Affirming the intention that all of our residents will receive care for life in an Angels' Place home.
We encourage you to pause in your day to enjoy the beauty of what you have created at Angels' Place. Ask for God's care of our residents and staff. And ask for blessings on all who work to assure that these residents will comfortably and safely grow old in their Angel's Place home.