I read the following story in an immunization newsletter yesterday and
thought it applied as well to breastfeeding advocacy efforts:

"This old Chinese gardener planted a small shoot of special bamboo, and
proudly told his grandson to observe how well his grandfather was caring
for the tiny shoot. The first year, grandfather watered the shoot weekly
-- it did not grow. The second year, he watered it weekly, hoed around
the stalk -- it still did not grow. The third year he watered and hoed
it weekly -- it did not grow. The fourth year, he faithfully continued
to water and hoe around the tiny bamboo stalk-- and it still did not
grow. The fifth year the grandfather again watered and hoed around the
bamboo stalk weekly --in the fifth year it grew 30 feet. The old Chinese
gardener asked his grandson, "Did the bamboo tree grow 30 feet in one
year or did it grow 30 feet in five years?"
The work we've been doing is beginning to show -- but each step we take
in laying this foundation has been important to the success we are
enjoying today."

Thanks for all your collective hard work, I've witnessed tremendous
progress in the past five years.

Diana Dietz, RN, BSN
Atlanta, GA
Diana Designs -- designs that celebrate mothers and breastfeeding
Http://pw2.netcom.com/~ddesign1/diana.htm