“The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” ~ Nelson Henderson
Planting seeds in nature for generations ahead to enjoy is a gift to the future which is priceless…as is sowing seeds of connections, of friendships and of caring. It is The Presents of Presence (my FB page ~ please LIKE if you want to participate) the gifts that being HERE in the NOW gives us all!
I was chatting with a friend yesterday and we were talking about how we are enjoying our ages now because we’re reconnecting with people with whom we haven’t seen in years and finding that age and experiences many times brings out the best in others. We are more open, we are less concerned with how people perceive us and we have lived through experiences which have changed our lives ~ many times for the better!
Funny that both of us have had breast cancer and we now ‘see’ life differently ~ thanks EAngel ~ but it’s not just cancer that unites us nowadays. It’s that most of us are on this journey of endurance and we’ve endured, we’ve learned and we’ve survived…I don’t believe we escape this lifetime without some type of disappointment and it’s what we do in the face of those difficulties which counts, which endures like the trees that we are planting for future generations. It’s the perseverance and the courage which ignites others to believe, to continue to fight and to succeed!
So as you go about your day today…take a moment to thank yourself for all that you’ve endured already and look forward to a bright shiny day ahead!
Happy Friday to you!
xo
P.S. My gratitude to Nelson’s grandson Jason Henderson who kindly told me that it was his own grandfather who said this quote many years ago. I did not know to whom to accredit this quote, but I am happily updating my post! My prayers go out to the Henderson family, Jason, his Dad and his grandfather Nelson. I will keep your family in my prayers.
Misifusa's Blog 
Hi
Thank you
Thank you for carrying on a thought that was probably never intended to be so popular. Just a way to live one’s life.
Nelson was my grandfather. A humble farmer in Northern Manitoba. He used that phrase to remind us that life isnt always about “us”. This afternoon i learned that one of his sons, my father has what could be terminal cancer. I am really struggling with this and somehow the idea of googling that phrase came to mind. Under Whos Shade. It is incredibly reassuring to know that something as seemingly insignificant as a “seed” or a farmers quote on life 50 years ago, can be found in the hearts of so many people. Significance comes in many forms
Thank you
My heartfelt gratitude goes to you Jason for kindly letting me know that it was your grandfather who coined the phrase. I apologize for not knowing beforehand and I have updated my post to include Nelson’s name as it should be. My heartfelt prayers for health for your Dad. Having survived cancer, I understand how difficult a diagnosis of what could be terminal cancer is for your Dad, for you and for your whole family. Please know I’m here for you if you should ever need a friend. I understand. Hugs to all of you…how amazing that it was such a seed quote which has made such a difference in so many lives. How blessed as we to have connected! Thank you for writing to me. I appreciate your kindness. Please stay in touch.
God morning,
The good and bad of the internet is everything stays on it forever. 🙂 I just saw your response this morning to my email of many years ago. I hope you are well and enjoying the holiday season.