I WANT TO BE A MARIGOLD...NOT A WALNUT TREE!

 When I began my career as an Early Childhood educator, my principal assigned me a mentor teacher named Jeannette A.  She had already been teaching for a few years…and by the way, she was just a natural born teacher.  Jeannette was my life saver that year…she taught me all the things that I wasn’t taught in a college classroom.  When she breathed in, I breathed in; when she breathed out, I breathed out.  I followed her every move, and I was so very wise to do so.  Even now that we are both “old” and retired, she is still a very, very dear friend.  Jeannette was my MARIGOLD. 

MARIGOLDs are those little flowers in the daisy family that usually have yellow or orange blooms; and did you know if you plant them in your garden alongside your vegetables, those vegetables will grow big and strong and healthy?  They also protect many plants from pesky insects and weeds.  It’s as if the plants are loved & protected by their MARIGOLDs and they respond to that love & protection.

But people can be MARIGOLDs too.  Those MARIGOLDs are the friends that stand by us through thick or thin; the friends who love us warts and all; the friends who encourage us to be our best.

I WANT TO BE A MARIGOLD.

Smart gardeners plant MARIGOLDs alongside their vegetables, but smart gardeners also know you should NOT plant a garden next to a WALNUT TREE.  These trees contain a chemical known as juglone which can “deprive sensitive plants of needed energy for metabolic activity."  The plants can wither and wilt and their growth can be stunted; they can even die.  WALNUT TREEs can be like poison to your garden.

But people can be WALNUT TREEs  too.  Those trees are the “friends”, family members, neighbors, or coworkers who “poison” you with their negativity, their jealousy, their everyone is out to get you or their nothing is ever good enough attitude.  WALNUT TREEs discourage rather than encourage; drag you down instead of lift you up; and want you to be just as unhappy and miserable as they are.

I WANT TO BE A  MARIGOLD...not a WALNUT TREE.

Over the 40 1/2 years I was a teacher, I worked alongside many MARIGOLDs but also a few too many WALNUT TREEs.  The MARIGOLDs loved the kids and their jobs in spite of how hard and tiring it was some days.  The MARIGOLDs encouraged the other teachers around them, they supported each other on good days and bad, they saw the good in every child. I had so many wonderful MARIGOLDs that loved me and taught me to give my all each and every day.  Thank you Jeannette, I. Archer, G. Dunn, D. Davis, Mrs. G., Jean, Debbie, Susan, Bonnie and many others.

Sadly, the WALNUT TREES did nothing without complaining, failed to find any joy in who or what they taught, and tried to drag everyone around them down to their miserable state of being.  I won't name any names.

I WANT TO BE A MARIGOLD...NOT A WALNUT TREE.

I want to encourage others rather than discourage them; I want to help them rather than condemn them for where they have failed; I want to give love to those who feel unloved; I want to lift up rather than tear down; I want to see the good in others and sew seeds of kindness; I want to share smiles with those who have lost theirs; I want to forgive and help others to forgive themselves.

I WANT TO BE A MARIGOLD.

WALNUT TREES ARE POISON. Avoid them whenever you can. If you don’t, they will start to infect you, and soon you’ll hate your life as much as they hate theirs.  Pray for the WALNUT TREES; set an example for them.

Be a MARIGOLD and watch those around you blossom and maybe become a MARIGOLD too. 

So….are you a MARIGOLD or a WALNUT TREE?