“Mary! Mary! Quite contrary, how does your garden grow?” is a line from that nursery rhyme so long ago. Such fun to sing along, it was really about a queen at whose command people were tortured and murdered for believing differently than she did. The garden in the verse is really the burial place of these dear folks.
Now, how about that for a children’s rhyme!
Knowing the history does take the fun out of singing it, doesn’t it?
Quite contrary and conflicting a personality, Mary.
Lyn planted cuttings from her wedding bouquet on a patch and watched them grow. A year after, it is still a great reminder to her that life keeps growing, no matter how brutal the world may be. Lyn redirects her thoughts to create beauty.
Gardens and parks, literal or connotative evoke feelings.
blue flowers
Perfectly tended landscapes, with plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables, and perhaps, a creek or even a waterfall, attract and stimulate feelings of tranquility, satisfaction, peace and quiet. On the other hand, a badly tended yard with weeds and brambles, is not as attractive. People tend to not hang around there.
Like gardens we can make a beautiful mark in the sands of time. It takes a willingness to do the work and thankfully, we do not have to go it alone. You and I can be well-kept, watered gardens and be fruitful in season.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness… Psalms 23:1-3 …for without Me you can do nothing. John 15:5
If you would like to listen to the rhyme, click here. Like me, do you wish it did not have such a sad history?
Sometimes, we get to hear a sweet story behind a name. WHAT IS IN A NAME?
ashleygrey(https://ashleygrey.org)