• Start Here
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Table
    • Together at the Table
    • Food and Such
      • Beverages
      • Bread
      • Breakfast
      • Main Dishes
      • Vegetables & Sides
      • Soups
      • Desserts
  • Writing
    • On Family
  • Happy Designs
  • Connect
    • For You
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Happy Go Stuckey

Tethering Grace & Togetherness

Green Onions and Quiet Growth

July 19, 2016 by HappyGoStuckey 14 Comments

I am strangely attached to the green onions in the orange pots out back.

They first came from my Grandfather’s sandy lake-front yard. After he passed away, they made their way to me through my Dad’s own hot garden. He offered them to me with gas money and a grin as I left their house one day. A five gallon bucket of pungent spring bumped along in the back seat on the drive home. For five hours of interstate I just hoped I could keep them alive.

We planted, watered, and waited. For weeks they sprung up and we cut them. They graced scrambled eggs and Green Jacket Salad and everything but ice cream.
Then one day I bounced outside with my herb shears and gasped.
Dead as a doornail, my onions were brown, withered, and mostly gone. I had killed them. I killed my sweet grandfather’s scallions. Shoulders slumped, I turned to go inside– resigned to buy them like a commoner in the produce section from then on.

After several weeks of avoiding all things garden with my Dad, he said — “Hey, I forgot to tell you. The onions might die. But don’t worry, they always come back. Even when it looks like they’re long gone— just wait. They’ll be back.”

He was right. A couple months later, they sprang up again. Tiny tender sprigs of green from black soil.

That was more than a year ago and I’ve watched those same green onions die a sudden death multiple times. Each time, I wait for them and it seems they’re finally gone. But they always come back. Small and green and hopeful. No amount of time spent forgotten keeps them from coming back.
It’s what they do, they live.

And every time they shoot up overnight, I remember.
I remember that growth often happens in the forgotten darkness. In the quiet places where no one sees. It may happen slowly and an inch at a time, but it happens just the same.
Because slow can often look like death to us. A failure to produce much can look like a failure to thrive at all. Slow progress is easy to ignore, and when we ignore it— we despise the quiet growth.

This is the growth we have as the created ones, created by One much bigger than ourselves. Our very need to grow and make things and learn and get better reflects our need for Him.

But we often disdain the slow for the immediate. We snarl at the tiny group for thousands of ears. We sigh at the “we didn’t do today” list and completely disregard the progress that was made– even if that progress was melting popsicles and belly laughs with our people.

May we be content– you and I, with where we are today. May we be happy with what we have to offer, with the very best we can do– And remember that underground, in the dark? That’s where the roots are. That’s where the real growth happens. 

What I Learned and Loved in June
Taking Care of Teachers: Free Teacher Printable

Comments

  1. Deanna Smith says

    July 22, 2016 at 10:07 pm

    Waiting for that growth to happen underground can be agonizing. Thank you for the lovely reminder that it’s worth the wait.

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      July 23, 2016 at 8:54 am

      Hi Deanna. I completely agree. This was one of those posts I wrote from my own processing, as I’m sure you know well with your own words! Thank you for stopping by and saying hello. Always happy to hear from you!

      Reply
  2. emily p freeman says

    July 23, 2016 at 6:42 am

    Beautiful.

    “It’s what they do, they live.” That line slayed me. Slew me. Whatever the past tense of slay is.

    Well done, Cynthia. Thank you for sharing this.

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      July 23, 2016 at 8:51 am

      Thank you so much, Emily.
      I’m so honored to be mentioned among the other writers on your weekend post!
      And as for slay/ slew– I have no idea. They both sound right.
      Glad to see you here today.

      Reply
    • Karen Fleming says

      July 30, 2016 at 7:03 am

      Oh Emily, you are so funny and sweet.

      Reply
  3. Wendy says

    July 23, 2016 at 10:31 am

    So encouraging, Cynthia! I’m feeling a bit “in the dark” lately, and wondering when the growth is going to happen. I love the analogy and connection you’ve made here.

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      August 5, 2016 at 12:10 pm

      Thank you for stopping by Wendy. Glad it was an encouragement to you. I definitely share in your feeling of being in the dark!

      Reply
  4. Kate Laymon says

    July 24, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    A great reminder. I am always judging by what the eyes can see but there is so much going on beneath the surface. Thank you for sharing your reflections.

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      August 5, 2016 at 12:08 pm

      Hi Kate! Thank you for stopping by. Thank goodness there’s more going on underneath, right? Especially in the seasons of nothing to show for it. I have felt like that all summer! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Mindy says

    July 28, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    Such a lovely post. I am forever changed by the lessons God teaches me through gardening and your insights touch my heart.

    Reply
    • HappyGoStuckey says

      August 5, 2016 at 12:05 pm

      Thank you Mindy. Its amazing, gardening isn’t it? Some of the lessons I feel Im learning are so obvious and even seem a little cliche at times, but I’ve still never learned them in quite that way. Glad to see you here!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. For Your Weekend - emily p. freeman - says:
    July 23, 2016 at 7:10 am

    […] Green Onions and Quiet Growth by Cynthia Stuckey […]

    Reply
  2. A Tradition Unlike Any Other: Green Jacket Salad says:
    March 31, 2017 at 11:32 am

    […] 3.5.3226 You may also be interested in: Green Onions and Quiet Growth […]

    Reply
  3. A thought for today – The Wandering Waif says:
    May 23, 2018 at 9:19 pm

    […] is the quote from the blog post, ripped out of […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Kate Laymon Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe and receive a Free copy of “Simmer: Six soup recipes and the Stories that Inspired Them.”

Your personal information is safe and will never be shared.

Hey There!

I'm Cynthia and I'm so glad you're here. I am an introvert with an extrovert's love of gathering people together. I love good books and capturing moments. Whether you visit me here or on my own front porch, I'll be the one holding the Iced Coffee for us both.

Instagram

happygostuckey

Truth: I am not the best cookie baker in our house Truth: I am not the best cookie baker in our house. It is hands down @friar_stuck — Today he added a pinch of fresh orange zest to Oatmeal Scotchies and they taste just like childhood.

My grandma used to make these and serve them to me on a pink plate with a small glass of sprite with ice. At 39, I now realize two things— 1. She would have adored my husband and 2. these cookies go best with coffee or tea.

What cookie makes you feel eight years old again?
There’s something unusually long about the winte There’s something unusually long about the winter months when we’re in a season of slow growth and imperceptible change.

The landscape outside your window TODAY can feel like it’s your landscape forever but it’s actually not.

If the view from where you stand looks rather bleak and not at all how you hoped, can I remind you to look up? 

These trees in my own backyard, captured this morning, last March, and last August, will continue changing in their own rhythmic way whether I’m watching them or not. There’s a comfort in that for me today— and perhaps for you.

Whatever looks slow and unmoving, with change almost too gradual to detect— is still very much in a pattern of forward transformation.

And these quiet days in the midst of our January-ness— we can be reminded that growth never really stops, especially in the hidden places.

#wonderfortheweary #feastingandforaging #bluehousebackyard
Not moving from this spot, except to boil the kett Not moving from this spot, except to boil the kettle for more tea.

This is the first complete weekend that we’ve been home since Thanksgiving. 😳 It sounds awful, especially for this homebody, but really what it means is, we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with family, attended one beautiful family wedding (Hey, Shelby! 👋🏻❤️) one 90th Birthday party for our beloved Granny, and had a family trip. They were all such sparkly gifts. Ones I don’t take for granted and so very different from last year.

But I do love home— and am happy to spend the second half of the day right here with this book which I’m truly enjoying. 📚❤️
The inhabitants of the Dickens Village wanted me t The inhabitants of the Dickens Village wanted me to tell you three V. important things. 1. After years of having one pub and no church, they are *finally* getting a church tomorrow, thanks to FB marketplace. And all the people said, “Amen & Huzzah.” 2. We’re still keeping Christmas over here — Though we’re slowly bending towards back to normal. The tree still lives and we’re celebrating the tenth day of Christmas with a fire & coziness before we pull out the pencils tomorrow. And finally, 3. Everyday Affogato. You might need this tiny pick me-up in your life. One shot of hot espresso poured over a tiny serving of vanilla ice cream. Please and Thank you.✨ #merrymerrystuckeys
2021 was a year of change for nearly all of us. Mu 2021 was a year of change for nearly all of us. Much of which we are happily taking with us into 2022.🥂

Nine squares is not sufficient to reflect the ways we’ve grown and changed, but it is a glimpse of the graces of the year behind us.

Not pictured: waking up to find our children taller and suddenly at our eye level, new laugh lines on our faces, sweltering pool days, fireplace dinners, Marco Polo chats with friends, family weddings & visits, mountain air breathed, books read, new jobs begun, school days, approximately 52 pizza nights, new rhythms & schedules, house repairs, car issues, and God always before us, behind us and within us. Soli deo Gloria. #thebestisyettocome
On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave t On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… 🍦Four Honeymoon milkshakes from the Dreamette. We’re going out with a bang, at the spot where their Grandparents grew up eating their ice cream. It’s absolutely the GOAT.
🎄✨Merry Christmas from Team Stuckey!✨🎄 🎄✨Merry Christmas from Team Stuckey!✨🎄

2021 has been full of new things— but I’m grateful we have walked through them together and in God’s sovereign hand. 

Pro (🤣) -Tip: if your Christmas cards say Happy New Year, you have longer to mail them… 📮🥂
Okayyyy @smittenkitchen ‘s Gingerbread Bûche de Okayyyy @smittenkitchen ‘s Gingerbread Bûche de Noël was fun and delicious. 4 out of 4 Stuckeys agree we have a new Christmas dessert! 🎄❤️

Happy Christmas Eve, friends— especially all you midnight merry makers! Hope you find all the stocking stuffers you hid.🙈
Do these Mince Pies make me look One-Quarter Briti Do these Mince Pies make me look One-Quarter British?

Truth be told, my grandma always used the jarred mincemeat and I wasn’t a fan as a child. Only last year did Lance and my Mom collaborate in the kitchen to try out homemade mincemeat filling and let me just say, we are never quitting these! 😍

The filling we use is from @bonappetitmag and it’s really good. It’s a gorgeous blend of apples, dried fruits (cherries, apricots, sultanas, figs, currants) with apple cider, spices, and a few other things. No meat, though.

Happy Christmas from the Jolly Old Stuckeys! 🇬🇧🎄❤️
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Categories

Featured Posts

Autumn Apple Dutch Baby

Saturday Breakfast is an important rhythm in the #BlueHouse-- my husband is an excellent breakfast … [ Read More ]

On Waiting & Moving

(And a Recipe for Italian Tortellini Soup) Later this month, our family will celebrate the 10th … [ Read More ]

Five Good Things

Hi. How are you, really? If you're anything like me-- you have moments of complete gratefulness for … [ Read More ]

Winter Favorites

(and why it matters to pay attention to the little things.) "For you are the sunshine-maker in … [ Read More ]

Loving Lately in November

"...all creation's revealing his majesty. We're invited to join with all nature in manifold witness … [ Read More ]

Miss Something?

Please be kind and give proper credit if you share! © Cynthia M. Stuckey. For personal use only, not to be copied, distributed, altered or sold.

Privacy Policy

Full privacy policy may be found HERE.

Want each post to magically appear in your email box?

Your personal information is safe and will never be shared.

Cynthia@happygostuckey.com
xo Cynthia
  • Start Here
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Table
  • Writing
  • Happy Designs
  • Connect

© 2022 · Pretty Creative WordPress Theme by, Pretty Darn Cute Design