| A mysterious garden hidden behind a high brick wall, a | | | | Garden I think I also envy Mary Lennox, who has the |
| key stashed away in a forgotten room, and a young, | | | | time and space to toil endlessly in the garden and |
| bored and curious girl set the stage for an exciting | | | | then to enjoy the fruits of her labor. |
| and engaging story. My favorite childhood novel was | | | | She is also able to lure her chronically ill cousin Colin |
| Francis Hodgson Burnett's classic The Secret Garden. | | | | out of doors and he discovers the healing power of |
| I think at the time I was drawn in by the mystery of | | | | the garden. I can relate to that power - there is no |
| the secret and my fascination with wild, unkempt | | | | quicker way for me to release tension and feel |
| English gardens. That must explain the state of my | | | | utterly relaxed than for me to spend a few minutes |
| own yard today! | | | | puttering in my garden. A case of the blues can be |
| My mother was an avid member of the local Garden | | | | cured rather quickly by a few minutes in the sunshine |
| Club and even involved me in some of the youth | | | | and a freshly picked bouquet of flowers. |
| flower arranging competitions. I think these activities | | | | There were life lessons to be learned from the story |
| nurtured in me a love of growing things, as I always | | | | as well. People are not always as they first appear, |
| had flowers on my windowsill while I was growing up. | | | | keeping secrets can be detrimental to the healing of |
| Nonetheless, I dreamed of the day when I, too, | | | | the soul; and in gardens, as in life, hard work leads to |
| would have a large expanse of garden to till and plant | | | | more beauty whereas neglect and apathy eat away |
| and watch with joy as the beautiful mass of color | | | | at the soul. |
| burst into life with the warm winds of spring. | | | | As the gardener reminds the children, "Where you |
| Alas, by the time I had such space to enjoy, the | | | | tend a rose, my lad, a thistle cannot grow." What a |
| responsibilities of every day life had crept in to steal | | | | perfect philosophy for life : focus on nurturing the |
| my time and prevent my enjoyment of reckless | | | | beautiful aspects of your life and there will be little |
| abandon in the garden. So, while I love The Secret | | | | room for the pain. |