9 . As my kids and I walked around a community garden the other week, I asked them what veggies they could identify. We were in Alberta, where many plants were still in their early stages of growth—I wasn’t optimistic about what the kids would be able to name by leaves alone. However, they called out, “Tomatoes! Potatoes! Carrots!” Their answers made me even proud. All the time we’ve spent in our home garden is actually sinking in.

Although I’ve been gardening for years, this year feels different. Spending time in the garden has helped me with my own well-being at a trying time, and it has given me a new way to connect with my kids.

My garden is wild, full of life, and a bit messy. Honestly, the same goes for my kids— and I don’t expect perfection from them either. Unless you’re relying on your yield for money or food, it’s a good idea to have your expectations for gardening as low as possible. My kids say they “love the garden” but “don’t like gardening” —I think they mean they don’t like the chores. If I have some weeding or potting to do, I’ll also have some entertainment for them, which can be as simple as “find these 10 rocks” or “wet this plot with your water gun”.

Involving the kids in every stage of the process can be powerful and fun, even if what you have are just a few containers on a balcony. “Gardening allows us to spend free, unscheduled outdoor time with our kids,” writes journalist and author Shannon Brescher Shea. “Let your kids lead the way. Invite them to participate in every step, from planting to harvesting, but don’t force it.”

One of the best things about gardens is the food, but frankly, my kids are not going to be pushing greens into their mouths any time soon. Finding uses for garden goods that go beyond food production can spark interest and supply you with some unexpectedly good results.

10 . When Megan Becker was five years old, she created something special for her dad Glenn Becker on Father’s Day. It was a paper ______ as an art craft! After several hours of ______ using construction paper and crayons, Megan couldn’t ______ to present it to her dad.

Glenn told his baby girl it was a ______ gift, and he would not only keep it forever but also ______ it on her wedding day. Her father then ______ the tie over his bedroom mirror to display his favorite gift. When Megan was a teenager she thought it was ______ , but it touched her heart that her father ______ it so much.

But ______ , the tie Megan made her dad as an art craft disappeared around the time she was getting ______ . At the time her parents had ______ and when Meagan asked his dad about it, he told her the tie had gotten ______ somewhere in the packing.

Without another ______ of the tie, Megan walked down the aisle to get married with her father who proudly ______ her away. But when it was time for the father-daughter dance, Glenn ______ on the dance floor wearing the crayon-colored, paper tie!

Megan was surprised and burst into ______ . It turns out Glenn who was a big jokester (喜欢开玩笑者), ______ the tie in his toolbox until the wedding. He was using it to ______ her on her wedding day! Glenn’s act of love is an incredible ______ of how a father loves his children.

Dad loves all the things we do for him and ______ the little ways we show love for him even if it’s a crayon-colored, paper tie!