Struggling to Create Something New

I’m struggling to focus on creating some new things in my life. However, the old things feel like they keep getting in the way. I can’t quite get rid of them yet. And I don’t want to pay attention to them or be involved with them, but I still must.

I can equate this to my spring gardening. I want to plant a seed, water it, fertilize it, tend to it so it sprouts. I want to nurture the new life, the new growth. My attention, however, keeps getting called away by the weeds and the old plants. The weeds need to be pulled. The old plants need pruning, watering, fertilizing, and care. In some cases, both weeds and old plants need to be removed to make room for my seedlings to grow and become strong–to give them space and light. In other cases, plants need to be moved and replanted elsewhere.

While I’m focused on the weeds and old plants, my seedling suffers. It grows crooked and scrawny.

I run between the old and the new. I struggle to create something new while tending to the old.

Sometimes we must finish with the old before we can move on to the new. We have to be patient. We can’t lose sight of the new–of what we are creating–but we must find a balance.

It feels difficult, but we have to remind ourselves that in the end we’ll have created the garden we desire.