Sustainability

I love the following definition for sustainability: "Among the many ways that sustainability has been defined, the simplest and most fundamental is: "the ability to sustain" or, put another way, "the capacity to endure."

Sustainability has not only been my passion, but has also been the theme of my life thus far. When I was a child, I used to play "pretend" with all the other kids on my block. They would pretend that they lived in nice little homes and cooked nice little dinners for their families. Basically, they would play "house". I would play "ranch". My ranch was large, had all the modern conveniences, and was constantly in the state of growth. Maybe these games set the pattern for my future.

"The ability to sustain... The capacity to endure."

Today, I find myself longing for the time to "play ranch". I had to return to work after my middle child passed away, which left me little time to create the sustainable environment of my dreams. The other night, I was frustrated and pouring out my disappointment in a conversation with my husband. He said something profound!  He said, "You are creating sustainability. You're doing it where you work."

I never thought about that. I am a manager at a wholesale/retail nursery. I love to train and I love to see people walk into their true "giftings".  I work with a group of incredible young and gifted leaders. It's so much fun to see them discover their strengths, work on their short-comings and blossom into the leaders they were born to be. As I work with them, I get to revisit my role as "mother" that I lost when my daughter died. In training them, I accomplish several goals... I get to pay off debt by working; I get to train a team of potential leaders; and I get to create something that will last long after I'm gone. I get to be sustainable.

Sustainability... The ability to sustain, the capacity to endure. What is the theme of your life?