Weeds

I think a lot about weeds in the spring. It's the time of year when I take a long, long screwdriver and shove the blade down alongside the taproot of every dandelion I can find in my yard. This method uproots weeds with roots up to eight inches long, especially after a rain. With great satisfaction I dwell upon the fact that weeds without roots will never grow again, nor will they ever broadcast their seeds and multiply themselves. Digging out a big granddaddy weed is especially gratifying.

I also think a lot about how much weeds are akin to bad habits. For one thing, both weeds and habits are much easier to uproot when they are little, before the taproot has grown halfway to China. However, when weeds and habits are still just sprouting they are very hard to see. Sometimes they even look like good ones. This year I ended up letting weeds grow around the edge of a garden because I thought they were the seedlings of an annual that grew there last year. Only when they were large enough to be recognized did I realize that they are just broadleaved weeds. I'll get them out soon and plant seeds there that I saved from last year's flowers.

It's so easy to let a few weeds grow in our educational gardens. After all, the children are alive and mostly doing OK Sleepovers on weekday nights; artificially colored, sugary stuff that promotes much whining and fighting to see who gets the most; all those hours of video games; too many activities for homework to be done at times; ignoring bad test scores or poor behavior, hoping it will go away. Oh, well, the kids next door are even worse. You should hear what they do.

Bad habits, like weeds, tend to grow and multiply when left alone. Parents and teachers who let problems go on and on without facing and solving them are promoting failure. Children who practice unhealthy habits are likely to make unhealthy choices all through their lives because that's what they've learned to enjoy. Unhealthy choices inevitably lower functioning levels. As St. Josemaria Escriva wisely said, "Our bodies are like little donkeys. If we don't take care of them they won't work for us."

On the other hand, children who learn to enjoy eating protein foods and vegetables, drinking pure water, playing in the sunshine, doing a good job of the tasks assigned to them, and sleeping when it's time to sleep are building habits for a lifetime of healthy choices. These children won't have so many weeds to uproot when they're older. They'll have the energy and self-discipline for work and prayer. Parents and teachers who courageously face into problems and change what needs to be change will see their charges grow and prosper. They'll be well-rewarded in the end.

We all have a few weeds in our lives. Let's grab our screwdrivers and get started!

Readers, please share your thoughts and experiences with me. The comments of many people make this column vibrant and relevant. Contact me at: newskill7@msn.com or call me at: 703-691-0191 (home), or 703-501-9013 (cell). I'm eager to hear from you.

Mary Sue Laing, M.Ed.
Resource Teacher, St. Ambrose School

by Mary Sue Laing, M. Ed., New Skill, Inc. Academic Tutor