Unlike previous posts, this one is neither tipsy, nor does
it contain a commentary on nutrition. I had something else to say on this
particular occasion.
Following a less than comfortable conversation with somebody
in my life today, with whom I had to share disappointing news, I decided to
spend some time in my garden. For relaxation, nature therapy, quiet time, and
to engage my mind, body and spirit in something productive. And the more time I spent out there, doing the
many things one has to do in a garden, I realized that life is a lot like a
garden. Like many current-day, health-aware, nature loving Americans, I consider myself an urban farmer. I grow organic food in my backyard – delicious food, according to the seasons.
In order for anything to grow, the garden needs a good
foundation – the soil. We break down the tough parts, mix it around, dig deep,
and keep turning. Sometimes we find items in the soil we don’t like, which we
need to remove, like pebbles, nails, pieces of trash and undesirable pests. We
could just leave it there, but it would always be under the surface, in the way
of something. When turning the dirt we may hit something hard like a thick
plant root or large rock, which gets in the way
of our being able to get much below the surface. So we put down the
shovel, get down on all fours and dig and pull with our hands through our
entire bodies until we can remove what is in the way. We can’t always move some
obstacles, like a pipe, so sometimes we just have to work around it.
Once the soil has been turned we need to add things to it to
ensure good growth, like ammendments and fertilizer, and frankly, things that
stink. We hold our breath and do it anyway for the good of the garden, and we
spread it around so it’s nice and even. The soil is now ready for planting.
We carefully select which items we will grow in the garden,
for we only choose to grow what we enjoy. In selecting what we will and will
not bring into our personal garden, we are deciding with each plant how much
care we need to give it. Some plants are vigorous and don’t need much attention
at all. Some plants require a lot of care and handholding. We know we will need
to check on them often. We plant our plants after strategically placing them
throughout our space based on how much room they will need to grow, which
plants will make good companions, and which plants should not be placed next to
each other as they are notorious enemies in the garden. We plant them in just
the right spot, with care for making them comfortable with soil and water, and
look forward to watching the garden grow.
In the time that passes, many individuals visit the garden.
Some buzz around, touching each and every plant, while leaving behind pieces
they have picked up along the way to help them along in their growth. But
sometimes these same individuals may sting us and hurt us, for seemingly no
good reason at all. We try to stay out of the stinger’s way and mind our own
business, because their aggressiveness may be unpredictable. When they choose
to sting us, their decision is one which may have great consequences, because
often a sting hurts the stinger more than the stingee. But we
recover from the sting and move on, and perhaps tread with a little more caution
the next time we see these particular individuals buzzing around.
Others who visit the garden may have their own agendas. They
destroy what we have created and insult all of our hard work. It is these individuals
which keep us very mindful of our gardens, knowing that we have to constantly
check for them and remove them as soon as they appear. Sometimes they appear in
numbers and sometimes they appear alone. We can fight back by assembling our
own defense force by planting pest resistant flowers or releasing bugs that
will hunt out and demolish the pests that taunt us. We are not always
successful. But we do not forget that these pests are a permanent threat, no
matter how intermittent. Some pests even
require fences or other physical barriers to keep them out, as they are
completely unwelcome, but sneak into our gardens to take what they want.
Underneath the surface we have a lot of support. We may not
see them, but they are there - constantly turning the soil for us, and
providing nutrients and strength to our garden. When we decide to dig something
up and take a closer look, we see that they were there all along, even though
we may forget from time to time. There’s a lot going on below the surface that
we are completely unaware about.
Throughout the year the garden changes. At certain times is
sparse and lacks color. At other times it is vibrant and full of life, and
every day the garden rewards us with new surprises to enjoy. Watching parts of
the garden grow is completely satisfying, for we know we had a hand in it. When
it is in full bloom we may see beautiful creatures fly by to visit, but they
don’t stay long enough for us to keep. We consider ourselves lucky to have
witnessed their passing through our little garden, even if for a short while. It
is during these times that we get to sit back and observe the lively garden
that we have created and enjoy it in all of its natural beauty.
There are, however, many parts of growing our garden which
are completely out of our control. Each time of year has its own temperament.
Sometimes it helps our garden grow in exactly the way we need it to. But
sometimes it is completely out of character and completely confuses the balance
of the garden. Every now and them a storm or other inclement weather will come
along and completely destroy our garden. We save what we can, but we also
accept our losses. We pull up, we clean out, we recover, and we prepare to
start all over again. We may feel badly about what has happened, but we
acknowledge that we need to move on.
We will make mistakes; it’s naïve to think that we won’t.
They may be small mistakes, which we can catch before it causes a problem, and
fix right on the spot. But every now and then we will make a bigger mistake,
whether we meant to or not. These mistakes may cause problems in the garden,
stifling it’s growth, and we will feel badly about making them. But we can
learn from them as well, and not make the same mistake the next season. We
should acknowledge our wrongdoings and apologize for them, even if it means
just apologizing to ourselves, for the purpose of forgiving ourselves. We aren’t
perfect. And we shouldn’t expect that our garden should be either.
For the garden will
continue to give back. At times we put a tremendous amount of effort into it,
and either those efforts may be realized or they may be destroyed. Sometimes
the effort and time we put into certain parts of our garden takes away from
other parts of the garden. We can’t always give 100% to everything. But it doesn’t mean we stop trying. Other
times we need not put any effort in at all and the garden continues to give. And sometimes it’s best to just leave it alone
for a while and come back to it later. It is never the same and is always
changing. What matters is that we enjoy
being out there. What matters is that we believe the effort is worth it. And what
matters is who we choose to share it with.
