Welcome to the Wild and Free Podcast, Episode 33.

I'm Ainsley Arment, and this week we're going to hear an inspiring story called Mornings Without Measure by Elsie Udicello and an interview with the founder of Bravewriter, Julie Bogart.

So grab a cup of coffee and join us on the front porch.

Let's get started. So a few years ago, I built a garden box in my backyard with the hopes of growing my very own fruits and vegetables.

I planted herbs,

corn, tomatoes, jalapinos, strawberries, varieties of lettuce, and anything else that would fit within a 4x plot that only got sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It was my first foray into farming,

and I loved every minute of it. At first, my efforts were bountiful. We enjoyed

fresh guacamole throughout the summer, with everything except the avocados coming from our own

garden. But then, the next year came around, and it was an entirely different situation. Apparently,

gardens do not run on autopilot. And despite my desire, I simply didn't have time to maintain it. Still,

I couldn't give up on the idea. So the next year, I planted seeds and watched as some plants made

it and others died, as the neighborhood wildlife took their pick of my produce. I finally realized

that if I was going to grow vegetables, I was going to have to put in the time and effort.

There's no better metaphor for parenting than gardening. What we sow into our children's

lives is that which we also reap. The good news is that if you're listening to this podcast,

you probably already know that and are putting it into practice. In that light, I want to encourage

you in a few ways. First, just because you don't see growth

doesn't mean it's not happening. While I couldn't grow certain plants without tender care,

others shot up when I least expected it. The most vibrant gardens have deep roots that take

time to anchor the plants. Good growth is slow growth. Second, gardening is a natural process. We only need to trust our children,

believe in them, and encourage them to grow in the ways they are naturally bent. Of course, we want

our children to grow in knowledge, wisdom, and character, but we also want our children to

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