Sowing Seeds

"Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the appleseed;
Oh, the Lord's been good to me."

I can still hear my Dad's voice as he played his guitar and sang to me. He would always tell the story of Johnny Appleseed and follow up with this little song. As a child, I heard this song on one level--a funny little man who went around the country planting appleseeds and resulting in lots of apple trees everywhere. My love for apples began at a young age and continues to today.

Similarly, although he passed away 7 years ago, my love for my Dad began at a young age and continues to today. His songs, his love for life, his eclectic, oft inconsistent philosophies, and his unpredictable but charming behavior not only left its mark on his wife and two children but also on thousands of students of all ages from elementary to adults. He did not leave apple seeds on the world, instead he sowed hope and love.

Some people leave bitterness, fear, suspicion, and anger with them wherever they go. Others leave joy, optimism, love, compassion, and hope. I propose that we are all Johnny Appleseeds leaving something of ourselves in the world. What do you sow and what do grow? As the journey of life continues, let us all sing a song of appleseeds and appletrees and let us all leave the world better than it was when we started.

We should give back and share what we have been given. Reach out to those in need and love the good in the world. Let us all be aesthetes as we work to make the world a better place.