As a child you probably remember the saying, "Early bird gets the worm." As you grow up, these simple lessons are complicated with fancy words like "First Mover Advantage."

We planted a garden with the kids over Spring Break. We selected jalepenos, zuchinni, tomatoes, green beans, watermelon, pumpkin, and various herbs. To watch a seed sprout, break the soil, grow into a plant, and produce food for the table is an amazing experience for a child.

Soon, the seeds started to sprout. Every day after school we went to the back yard to count how many new sprouts had surfaced... 11, 17, 31, 79, 108... The next morning, we were shocked to find a layer of ice floating in the dog's waterbowl.

Life Lesson Taught.

The seeds that worked their hardest and sprouted with gusto, beating out their weaker siblings for sunlight and moisture all were killed by the late freeze.

Just the day before they were in the lead to be "kept" when the time came to "thin" our little garden.

My "take away" from this little reminder of natures capricious antics is that gardening - like the stock market - like humanity at large - is a complex balance of hard work, luck, and timing. Often we confuse luck and timing as the same thing - but they are very different. Winning the lottery is luck. Winning the lottery on the $1M night versus the $100M night is timing.

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