The day was gray and foggy, and the ground was soddened
with the leftover rain from the day before. It didn’t really matter as we were
all dressed for the occasion, and no one seemed to mind the dampness of the
day. With hats and gloves and sweatshirts, fifty of us gathered to plant a
small prairie under the guidance of Nate Simons of Blue Heron Ministries. We
were of all ages from children to those of us much past the age of children,
yet we were kindred spirits on this day. Laughing. Talking. Smiling. Crying.
This was not just any prairie planting. This small prairie
was dedicated to the gardening legacy of Steve Wahlig. Before starting the
ritual of the prairie planting, we gathered together and listened as Ruben Ryan
read the eulogy. Not only was this the prairie planting, but it doubled as the
memorial service. All was quiet as Ruben pulled the paper from his pocket to
read what he had written. Ruben was a great friend of Steve’s and, of course,
to Jake as well. He actually started with such a sweet story saying it took him
the longest time to figure out which one was Jake, and which one was Steve! He
continued his reading as all were hushed on that foggy morning. He talked about
the joy the garden gave to Steve and to the community. How many tomato plants
did he deliver to the neighbors around him? And the tomatoes as well! He spoke
of lunches at the table laden with their homegrown food, and always conversations
about the garden, about the land, about Ruben. It was hard wiping the tears
from our eyes with gloved hands, but indeed we did. When he was finished, he
handed the paper to Jake as we clapped and cheered.
Nate took the stage, so to speak, next as he explained how
this would work. He laughed as he said, “This is the biggest group ever
gathered for such a small prairie!” Indeed, as I looked around to friends, neighbors
and family of the Wahlig’s, I just had to smile. I didn’t know everyone, but
planting seeds side by side is a great way to get to know one another.
Nate explained the procedure of planting as he pulled out bag
after bag of gathered prairie seed from already established prairies in Steuben
County. There were four species of native grasses and 37 species of native
Indiana wildflowers. The seeds were dumped into a trough with cracked corn and
mixed thoroughly. We planted in two groups of 25 as we lined up with our empty buckets
to have them filled with seed. Fred Wooley was on hand to make sure the mixture
came out just even. (How did they do that?) With the first 25 ready to plant,
we stood shoulder to shoulder and following directions, scattered the seeds
from one side to the other and back. I was lucky enough to be in the second
group too, so I got to do a double planting. When all the seeds were scattered,
the fifty of us lined up, holding hands and danced our way across and back
pushing those seeds into the damp earth.
Following the planting, some gathered in the garage to
listen to Nate talk about the Seeds of Truth and the restoration of the land
into the prairie. The other group went inside for chili and cookies and to
shiver off the dampness. I chose both groups. Sitting on buckets in Jake’s
garage we listened to Nate and sang, “Joy to the World.” I was glad to follow
that crowd into the warm kitchen to share stories with Jake and her children
and grandchildren. Finally, even I had to leave. When I arrived home, I took
off the old shoes I had worn and noticed seeds among the mud. I took my shoes
to my own back yard and clapped them together as children do chalk erasers
hoping a few seeds would find a home into my own garden.
Nate said it will take three years before the prairie is
blooming and beautiful. To me, that sounded like a perfect love story. Love
grows slowly and hopefully blooms in the end.
Very few couples shared the love that Jake and Steve did
during their courtship and long marriage. Love doesn’t die. Love lives on, and
in this case, love will live on in the prairie that was planted with cold hands
and warm hearts.
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