As the poet Goethe has said, "Life is the childhood of our immortality,"
and the teachings of childhood are what determine the character of
maturity. The thought is given additional emphasis in the beautiful
little poem, "Planting," by W. Lomax Childress:

Who plants a tree may live
To see its leaves unfold,
The greenness of its summer garb,
Its autumn tinge of gold.

Who plants a flower may live
To see its beauty grow,
The lily whiten on its stalk,
The rambler rose to blow.

Who sows the seed may find
The field of harvest fair,
The song of reapers ringing clear,
When all the sheaves are there.

But time will fell the tree,
The rose will fade and die,
The harvest time will pass away,
As does the song and sigh.

But whoso plants in love,
The word of hope and trust,
Shall find it still alive with God--
It is not made of dust.