06/16/2026
This morning, I was walking around our property, assessing which tasks to prioritize for my daily list, when I came across this scene. I don’t market foxglove much because of the stigma around it, but I do grow it, and it grows itself! But the fact that self-seeded foxglove surrounds the swing is so telling of our current story. My husband and I are fairly fresh empty nesters. But the swing, the swing says it all. It’s pretty quiet around here.
My husband made the swing when our boys were little. He built it sturdy and hung it between two trees. He had no idea how important that swing would become. Since we homeschooled, our property was always full of kids of all ages, and as 4-H leaders, we had new groups of kids coming by all the time. Someone was always flying high on that swing. I really miss those days.
Not long ago, my husband noticed the swing was starting to rot and asked if he should take it down. I couldn’t believe he’d even suggest it! Instead, he fixed it up, and now it still hangs there while the foxglove fills the space.
