One of my favorite things about this time of year is planning out our garden. Evie and I sit down, and we fight over whether or not kale will make it in this year – because it SOOOOOO SHOULD – and because last year it lost out to carrots, and apparently I am not so good at the growing-of-carrots thing. Or the growing-of-squash thing. I could get better at that one. Put it in the “needs improvement” column. But I’m really good at the growing of lettuce and herbs and I know I’d be just lovely at growing kale.

We plan it out and we wait for March to come. But before we plant, we till. We have to turn the soil and make sure that the foundation for our garden is clean and healthy. Because you can’t grow anything worthwhile in unhealthy soil. Yep. You see where I’m going here. There is definite room for a metaphor for life here. When you look at your garden and you get so excited about planning and all of the amazing things that you are about to grow, don’t overlook the need for healthy soil. Think about the things you need to do to create a strong foundation for your dreams. What are the rocks and weeds in your garden, and what can you do to actively work towards clearing them out – getting rid of them – and starting fresh this season? It will require tilling; hard work and a steady hand. But it’s work that is too important to skip over. The growth of your dreams (and your kale) depend on it.