This weekend marks the end of the 2nd full week following the shelter in place order that was issued by our county. After that order, other counties and finally the State of California followed suit. So, we have been home.
Staying home means tending to tasks that I’d been putting off. In particular, gardening.
Gardening for me is an olfactory experience, it smells like a medicine cabinet. That is to say, it smells like Cleveland Sage. Because Cleveland Sage it is a native plant, it belongs here. You don’t need to do anything to help it grow other than leave it alone. But this past weekend, I decided to trim this sage a bit because I wanted to plant something nearby and the sage had grown big and bushy and was blocking the light. As I was trimming, I came across a branch buried in the soil and I was reminded of how this plant cares for its children.
An older sage will eventually lay its branches against the soil. Under the parent’s protective canopy, those branches will sprout their own roots. This is how a child plant begins. It will push its roots down into the earth, while at the same time, receiving nourishment, protection and support from the parent plant. If it lays long enough, and the roots become strong enough, the branch will eventually be able to survive on its own, even if it is severed from the parent.
Isn’t this what we do for our children, too?
Don’t we also aim to raise our children so that they can survive, and even flourish, when we are gone?
If we cannot be there while they still need our protection and support, shouldn’t we do whatever we can to protect and provide for them?
Make sure your estate plan includes who will care for your children if you can’t be there. It should include provisions for your children’s financial and physical care and protection. If you created a plan before your children were born, it is time to update it.