The Garden

I never realized that I had become a gardener.
Wait, what?
That's right, I have become a gardener. Pretty amazing when you consider I live in an apartment and don't even HAVE a garden. I know nothing about seeds and planting. I know nothing about tilling soil or fertilizer. Yet I have become a gardener.
Ok, what am I talking about?
Well, I have a child, with another on the way.
I am a father.
Thus, I have a very real garden to attend to.
Our children are very much like a garden. What we plant in them will grow. My daughter copies EVERYTHING I do or say. She thinks like me, acts like me, tries to walk like me, and even tries out all my silly little mannerisms. I have come to realize that I have to be VERY careful when it comes to what I say or do in front of her because she will do the same. My wife always comes down on me about the things I say, most of which I dismiss by saying "Honey, she doesn't understand what that is." or "She's not even listening!"
She is.
She is ALWAYS listening.
We as parents are responsible for everything our children hear, and for what they will become later on. Sure, there are things that are specifically their own, and later in life they will develop their own personality, but right now, in their toddler years, they are completely influenced by us, and this influence will last them a lifetime. It will mold their thinking, shape their decision making abilities, and affect their demeanor.
Remember to tend to your garden everyday. If you plant weeds, weeds will grow. If you plant roses, sunflowers, daisies, and wildflowers, those will grow as well.
Plant wisely.