Once upon a time an abandoned bucket sat beside a flowerbed. Although the forgotten old bucket seemed like nothing special, you’ll find that it was anything but ordinary. Now it happened that a young girl came across this bucket and peered inside wondering what it could hold. She was astonished by her discovery. What appeared to me to be a withered Lily of the Nile bloom, was really so much more. I watched her withdraw a wand from the bucket like Arthur pulling the sword from the stone and then she let her imagination fly. There was no stopping her. The rest of her afternoon was spent running around the garden waving her wand, casting spells on flowers and concocting potions from the herb garden. She had discovered an enchanted bucket capable of turning garden clippings destined for the compost heap into extraordinary magical objects, all with just a little imagination.

I sat in awe of a child’s ability to create beauty and wonder out of something I was going to throw away. I tried to remember what it was like to not have a care in the world. As adults we are overwhelmed by daily responsibilities; jobs, bills, carpools, mortgages. I’m sure we have all wished we could go back to a time when we were young and could throw caution to the wind.

But, since going back in time is not an option, I decided to do the next best thing and take some action. My daughter inspired me to pick up the shovel, my own magic wand, and get started on my latest project. But that’s a story for another day.

The next time you are doing a little pruning in the garden, I hope you take a moment to open your eyes to the incredible potential that lies at your fingertips and create a little magic for yourself.