by Miranda Miller-Smith

Created on: November 08, 2009   Last Updated: December 03, 2009

Looking back on my childhood, it is safe to say some of my happiest moments were spent in the garden with my Grandpa. I believe I cherished these hours spent together because my grandfather was one of those men who rarely displayed affection or emotion. While I knew he loved me, he would rarely say those words to anyone. To see him with his plants, how tender and thoughtful he could be, reminded me that he was a loving man inside, but men who had retired from the Army and settled on a farm were not admired for their tenderness generally.

Our adventures in the garden and in the fields of crops began when I was old enough to walk. Grandpa took me everywhere with him. We would check on the corn, pick peas and beans together, water the flowers in the beds, and enjoy our time in the sun. There is something about the power of nature, growing plants and warm sunshine that is magical to me. To the day I find it addictive like a drug to some.

My Grandpa knew I was just a silly little girl, but he taught me lessons about tending to plants, how to love something and watch it flourish, and the satisfaction that comes from planting a seed, watching it grow and enjoying either its beauty or the nourishment homegrown foods can offer.

When I was around the age of 4 or 5 years old I loved to go to the corn field with my Grandpa. We would inspect the crops for damage by deer and other animals. We would estimate how much longer we would wait before we began picking in certain sections, and we enjoyed the peacefulness of the field. There is something about a gentle summer breeze and the sound it creates in a corn patch. The stalks would sway so slightly and the rustle of the corn. It was always so magical to me. I would dance, and bask in the moment. It seemed like a reward from God for my efforts. My Grandpa knew I loved to dance in the field with the corn, and he would sometimes find a stalk of corn that was not healthy or maybe had suffered damages from a deer or other animal, and he would cut it down and take it home for me to dance with.

Gardening and farming with my Grandpa helped me to develop into the woman I am today. Not only did I get to spend time with my Grandpa in his element, but also I learned so much about nurturing. My Grandpa died when I was 19, so looking back, those were moments in time that are priceless. I got to know him in ways not many other people did. I saw his tender side, I saw him express his love, I saw him when he was happiest. In the garden,

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