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Garden Lessons

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“Hot diggity dog!” I shout. “We’re finally here!”
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I jump out of the car like a wild kangaroo and run up the porch steps.  The front door bursts open before I even knock.
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“Sweet Pea!” Grandpa hollers with a big belly laugh.
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“There’s lots to do on the farm today!”
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He scoops me up and I squish my face against his puffy white beard. 
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“First we’ll feed the chickens,” he says.

“Chickens?” I ask with a nervous grin.

“Yes, ma’am,” he answers with a wink. 
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“Yowzers, Grandpa,” I say with a gulp.  “I’ve never fed chickens before.”
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As we walk towards the chicken coop, Grandpa hands me a bag of chicken feed.
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I close my eyes, turn my head, and fearfully shove a fist full of the feed at the chickens.
 
The chickens grumpily grunt and waddle away.

“I don’t think they like me,” I whimper.
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Grandpa says that animals can sense fear.
 
He calmly bends down and gently sprinkles the ground with chicken feed.
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“Here, chicky, chicky,” Grandpa softly calls. "They like it when you talk to them," he says.  
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I take a deep breath and walk towards the excited chickens.

“Here, chicky, chicky,” I quietly call.  I slowly reach out my hand and sprinkle the feed.
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“Awesome, Grandpa!” I say as the chickens nibble away.
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Grandpa gives me a high-five.
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“How green is your thumb?” he asks.

“Grandpa!” I laugh. “Don’t be silly!”

“It’s just a saying,” he explains. “Having a green thumb means you know how to keep plants happy.”

“Then I want my thumb to be as green as a pickle!” I shout as we walk to the garden.

Grandpa laughs and walks to the shed, where he fetches a bucket of water.
 
“This is my favorite bucket,” he says as he fills it with water. The bucket is rusty, dented, and cracked.
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“Why don’t you buy a new bucket?” I ask him.
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Water drip-drops from the bucket’s crack.
 
Grandpa hands me the old bucket and says, “Walk around the garden.”
 
I watch as droplets pitter-patter onto the thirsty flowers below.
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“Sometimes things look broken,” Grandpa says, “but really they work just fine.”
 
Now I understand why Grandpa keeps that rusty, cracked bucket. 
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Grandpa and I have a rest on the garden bench.

“I spy with my little eye, something that is purple,” Grandpa says. I guess it right away.

“The flowers!” I yell.

“Now I spy with my little eye, something that is shiny,” I say.
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Grandpa looks around the garden.

He guesses the bucket and the garden shovel, but I shake my head, “No.”
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“It’s your prosthetic leg!” I announce.
 
“You win!” he laughs.
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It's time to go home now.
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I snuggle up against Grandpa’s white fluffy beard again.
 
“I’m really proud of you, Sweet Pea,” he says.

“You bravely fed the chickens and found your green thumb, all in one day!”
 
I give Grandpa a bear hug and say, “I’m proud of you too.”
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Let's talk about this story.

Why was Sweet Pea nervous to feed the chickens? How did Grandpa's advice help her overcome her fear?

Can you remember a time when you overcame your fear? How did you overcome it?

Why was Grandpa's bucket special? 

Why was Grandpa proud of Sweet Pea?

Why was Sweet Pea proud of Grandpa?

Did you know?

Before the day in this story, the Grandpa had surgery to remove one leg. That leg had become infected and medicine could not stop the infection from getting worse. Doctors removed his sick leg during a surgery call amputation. Grandpa was asleep during the surgery. The amputation took all of the infection away. The doctors and nurses took very good care of Grandpa while he stayed in the hospital. When he felt better, he was able to go home. The infection was gone!

Grandpa got his prosthetic leg soon after his surgery. He tried very hard to get strong and to learn how to walk again. Now Grandpa is able to do all the things he loves, like farming, gardening, and spending time with Sweet Pea.

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​Limb Horizons™ is on a mission to empower children and families by creating inclusive, imaginative online illustrated children's stories that promote prosthetic and orthotic education and limb difference awareness.

A passion project by Functional Restorations, LLC


Notice: The information provided by ​Limb Horizons™ is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact your medical professional for professional guidance. All rights reserved. The images and content on this site may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of Jennifer Latham Robinson except for personal use, brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal. All images and content copyright 2022 by Jennifer Latham Robinson.
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