All Because of a Garden Window: Karen's Abiding Story

Growing up as an Army brat, Karen found herself moving every 2-3 years all over the globe and never experienced connecting with a church home. After settling in Virginia for her college years and then meeting her husband, Dick, they moved to Springfield together and had a daughter. Always pining for a “garden window” to grow her plants, Dick found them a house in Burke with exactly that and they settled into their new home.

Feeling the need for a church home, they began attending Abiding Presence and had their daughter baptized here. Recalling her younger years gardening with her grandmother, Karen established her own garden. “Whether I’m walking in the woods or looking at the blue sky, nature is so darned important to me,” she shared. “My whole life I was moving from place to place, unable to put down roots, but putting my hands on the land and digging in the dirt made me feel at home,” Karen recalled.

And so began “Trash Walking” as she calls it. As long as it’s not raining or snowing, Karen leaves her neighborhood on foot every day. She explained, “I look at what’s on the ground and the trash I see tells me which way I’m going to go and I take off on that route.” With 15-20 routes, Karen can be seen with her 4 totes and grabber tool walking the streets picking up trash. One bag is for obvious trash, one for recycling, one for glass, and one is the mystery bag. This last one gets items to be looked at more closely and sorted at home. She also carries a cup for loose change and batteries, the latter being a recyclable item as well. In her many years of seeing the fruits of her labor she shared, “If each person did a little, then 50 or even 100 people did that too, it’s not a little anymore because every person makes a difference.”

If you spot Karen on one of her daily Trash Walks, give her a wave and a thank you. Or better yet, join her in one of her walks or start one in your neighborhood and be one more person caring for God’s creation.