Though March remains cold, the return of the bright and gently warming sun wakes winter-sleeping plants and seeds from their sleep. Today, I’m out here to sow seeds for the summer garden: tomatoes, peas, cucumbers. All of these plants are easy to grow, pretty and tasty.

Initially, I plant the little tomato seeds into rows in a single seed plate, each variety divided by a sideways stick and labelled. Then I cover a fine layer of soil over them and put the tray in a basin of water to make the compost(堆肥) wet.

For tomatoes, it is not yet warm enough for reliable growing outdoors. In the main, a warm home is a good place to get seeds going, as they don’t necessarily need a great deal of light at this stage. In a few weeks, when their two young leaves have come out, I will gently dig them out. Softly pick up one of their delicate leaves between finger and thumb, I’ll slip a pencil below their young roots to carefully dig the plant from its birthplace.

I’ll then place the seedling in a, pot to grow, big, and strong, and begin to feed, the plants with a liquid from brewed(发酵) chicken waste. These tomatoes, being tender, will stay in my house until early May then settle into their forever home in the unheated greenhouse.

Despite there now being enough light for tender plants to grow outside, it is still too cold for them. A sunny balcony, warm glasshouse or passageway will do them well until the frosts pass, and day and night temperatures consistently reach 8—10℃.

Learning to be guided by cues from the wild can deepen our relationship with the living world, allowing us to experience ourselves as part of rather than separate from the rhythms of life on Earth.

Larry seemed always silent and didn’t have any friends. His teacher Mr. Brown noticed (注意到) this. One day, he asked Larry to meet him after class. Mr. Brown said, “I see that you don’t talk to anyone or show any interest in anything. What’s wrong?” Larry answered, “Sir, I have a very difficult life. I have to face some very sad things and I always keep thinking about them. Because of this, I can’t focus on (集中注意力) anything and even don’t feel like talking to anybody.” Mr. Brown listened carefully, thought for a while and said, “Would you like some lemonade (柠檬汽水)?” Larry felt a little surprised and nervously said, “Yes, thank you!”

While preparing lemonade (柠檬). Mr. Brown added more salt (盐) but less sugar (糖). Larry made a strange face as soon as he drank a sip (一小口) of that lemonade. Seeing this, Mr. Brown asked, “You don’t like it?” “Um… it’s just because there is a bit too much salt in it,” Larry answered.

Mr. Brown stopped him, “Oh, it doesn’t matter. I will throw it away.”As the teacher was lifting the glass to take it away, Larry stopped him and said, “Sir, please don’t throw it away. If we put a little more sugar in the lemonade, it will be fine to drink.”

Hearing this, Mr. Brown said happily, “This is what I want to hear from you. To improve the taste of lemonade, we don’t need to remove (去除) the salt from it. Instead, we can just add some sugar to it. Similarly, we can not remove sad things that have already happened to us, but we can add sweetness of good experiences in our life. If you keep on crying about your past, neither your present will be right nor the future will be bright.”

Larry realized his problem and began to live a happy life.

The men of influence in our lives are our fathers, brothers, grandfathers, uncles, and friends and they play an important role in our lives. They lead by example, teaching us how to move physically through our world, how to be strong in the face of adversity, how to be wise, and how to provide for ourselves and our families.

My dad taught me how to have natural fun, playing baseball in the middle of the street, in his stocking feet. Today my dad continues to influence me in positive ways. He has faced a challenging health problem over the past few months and has carried on with his life in much the same way as he did before his illness, going about his daily business a bit slower and needing to take more rests but still living his life the way he wishes to.

My grandfather taught me the value of being trusted. My father-in-law influenced my life in a different way. He was quiet, loving and a man of power. When he spoke, I listened, as he did not speak unless he had something to say.

My loving husband has encouraged me to be strong and independent, to think for myself, and not to look to him for permission. My husband has also taught me to adapt with him to the ever-changing reality of his journey with illness, and he has met each one with courage and dignity. I have learned much from the men who have had an influence on my life. For all that I have learned and for the role they played and continue to play in my life I am forever thankful.