July 3, 2008

Grass angels and small duty done

The lawn needs mowing. The male-head at Angelkeep is the “angel-keeper” of the grass. Actually the grass is fine and short. It’s the yard’s conglomeration of Queen Anne’s lace, clover, and assorted broadleaves that needs mowing. Similar duty calls for the same “angel-keeper.”

That whole concept comes from a legend passed on to me by Hoosier writer Myrtie Barker. God’s angel charged with the care of grass ignored his duty, thinking it beneath him and also unimportant. Other angels were assigned other creations—most seeming more prestigious to the grass angel. Thus the grass, unaided, failed, dried, and died. Cows and other grazers died due to lack of food. Earth erosion followed with no grass roots to hold the soil.

God addressed the grass angel by asking, “Was, then, your assignment a tiny or great thing I asked thee?”

How many times do we fail to make a difference on a huge scale because the opportunity we have before us seems so insignificant? Often a reference is made by a national leader or celebrity about the beginning motivation coming from an early teacher. More often those beginning teachers are unsung heroes.

Summer is upon not only Angelkeep but the educational field. Teachers are home resting and recuperating. Summer refreshing. Many are engaged in continual education, learning new approaches. Others work, adding to a teachers’ salary (low compared to other multi-degreed professionals.

Teachers are grass angels.

Wells County is a community of helpers. It’s a community where volunteering is a constant—not just a warm-weather phenomenon. Businesses donate to fundraisers. Locals assist by cooking, serving, walking for pledges, collecting, praying, visiting, and doing.

Hoosiers historically step up in many small ways to help their neighbor. Our rural part of this world is teeming with grass angels.

A honeybee moves from one blossom to another with silent activity. It slaves. It works. It gathers and it provides for its own community. It is no small thing.

As a “grass angel” of its hive, it also pollinated the flowers of Angelkeep. Some will produce months of beauty, others turning to fruit destined for animals and humans. Additional bloom will become vegetable nutrition for Angelkeep inhabitants.

Fruits will sometimes seed and replenish Angelkeep with new growth for future generations. All this work is no small thing.

The honeybee ignores my thoughts and my spoken “thank you!” It simply slips down the throat of another petunia trumpet, gathering nectar, no questions asked, pollinating plants, no thanks needed, tirelessly active, with no big reward. That honeybee’s a grass angel. That honeybee is no small thing.

Tomorrow, and through the weekend, most of us will celebrate Independence Day with a grilled hot dog, a cherry pie, a sparkler, a rare day of rest, homemade ice-cream, or a view of night sky fireworks. A few, like Bluffton Mayor Ellis, can celebrate with a duel-purpose birthday cake.

Take time to reflect upon all the “grass angels” over the past 232 years that did their part to give you freedom.

Revere and his pony ride. Francis Marion and his cunning “Swamp Fox” ways. Betsy’s sewing skills. And a young media writer, Thomas Paine, who upon being introduced to Washington blurted out (from his heart and gut): “These united states of America must be free and independent of England.”

That was no small line. In that few seconds of talk, our country’s name was uttered for the first time. Paine went on to nurture many grass blades. Many now consider Paine, with Franklin, the true drafters of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson edited and quilled the final draft.

Franklin, Bell, Edison, Carnegie, Lincoln, and…an endless list of grass angels.

“In God we trust.” Happy holiday.

Mr. Daugherty is a Wells County resident who, along with his wife Gwen, enjoy their back yard and have named it “Angelkeep.”

by ALAN DAUGHERTY

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