Dirty Joy

I played in the dirt today.  Planted six peonies.  Fifteen dahlias.  Fifty.....and more....giant sunflowers.  Unknown amount of columbines.  Pumpkins.  Squash.  Morning glories.  I weed eated.  I watered.  I pulled grass.  And weeds.  I turned soil.
It's dirty joy.  I had a near garden under my nails.  The seat of my jeans looked like I had been sliding along my bum.  Dirt was in my nose.  My feet were stained.
And there was joy.  Because gardening always reminds me of really simple things.  Today it was how simply pulling weeds does not get rid of them.  You have to plant something in place of them.  And the places where the good plants are thriving and healthy prohibit weed growth best of all.  The barren soil is prime for weeds to begin and flourish.  So, for every area that I was taking out grass and weeds, I was busily putting in something good and healthy for the garden.
I need to be sure to do the same in my life.  In my thoughts.  In my habits.  It doesn't work to just get rid of the "bad".  It has to be replaced by something good.  Otherwise, it is likely that some other bad thing will fill the void.
Gardening...it's my dirty joy.
blessings.