President’s Corner: Planting Seeds that Last Forever

I’ve always loved these little flowers pictured here. They are called blue grape hyacinths, and whenever I spot them I can’t help but smile. Last year, I got permission from our neighbors to pick a handful of those flowers from their yard and proceeded to sprinkle the seeds all over different spaces in my yard. I actually forgot, I had done this last year until just this morning when I noticed these cute little flowers sprouting all over my yard during my morning walk.

I often pray during my daily walks, and today I felt the metaphor of these little flowers was a message for us all. Planting seeds in life means we are investing in a future that will take time. We may not see the flowers blossom until next year or much later in life, but we still plant them with hope for the future. The key is to take time in this season of our life, although we may be incredibly busy, to think about and plan for the future.

The beauty of this type of seed planting in our life is that just one season of investment can last forever. These flowers will continue to sprout and grow as they naturally spread their seeds. In my case I can count on these flowers spreading even further as my children pick these cute flowers and spread their seeds all over. I’m certain I can expect an even more colorful lawn next year because of my simple investment last year.

I encourage all of us to take some time in this season of our life to think of the future and plant the right types of seeds for next year. Make sure they represent where you want to be and not just where you are. To do so, we must give space in our lives to consider our own internal growth. This is the work we, especially the women and mothers of our community, must lead the way in. We may be planting seeds that may not blossom right away, however, they will surely fill our communities with joy soon enough. And in the end we will be grateful we took the time to plant seeds for the future.

If I may, I’d like to extend this analogy to our annual membership drive which we have kicked off this April through mid-May. Membership is one of the greatest ways to plant seeds that will bloom in the future. With your support we can strengthen our initiatives and goals for 2023. In particular we are focusing on launching a new online platform that gives access to educational and empowering material, connecting with over 200 women leaders through the Global Women’s Peace Network, reaching 1,000,000 viewers on social media, and supporting the field by expanding the role of our SubRegional Coordinators. Becoming a member today means you’re supporting these and many more initiatives. Please consider planting seeds today for tomorrow! Sign up for membership here!