I have been thinking a lot about growth lately. Personal, professional, spiritual, etc. Since the pandemic started there have been countless articles and videos about making time for yourself and your growth.
Thats when I started to think about my garden.
In the late spring I started a garden. This was against my better judgement as I am not known for my green thumb (as previously noted in my other posts). For some reason, this year is different. this year I use my time in the garden to think and recharge. In the morning I go out and check the status of my plants. Who needs water? Who needs dead leaves removed and flowers cleared away? Who needs food? Who needs to be cut back to encourage new growth? I will putter in the front and then slowly make my way to the back.
There I sit on the steps and pull up a planter and tend to the flowers. Mila, our cat, will usually, sit next to me watching as I patiently clear away old growth so that new growth can happen. I have one type of plant that has the smallest of flowers. It explodes in soft pink petals when it is happy. However, you must spend time pulling all the little dead flowers off for the fresh flowers to grow. These flowers have a short bloom cycle. So, I try and stay on top of it. In some ways it reminds me of trimming a bonsai. It is very relaxing, and I can let my mind wander. It evens me out and sets me in a calm state for the start of my day.
What needs to go for new growth to happen?
Plants often need to have their dead leaves and flowers pruned so that the energy that they get from the sun, water and food goes toward the new growth and not toward trying to maintain or heal the old growth. Maybe, people do too. In the past I have not thought about time for growth in the right way. I guess I should think about it in the same way that I tend my garden. I don’t need to find the time to spend on my growth. I just need to readjust what I am spending my time on because I am sending my energy to the wrong things. I need to send my energy to new goals that energize me and move me forward instead of trying to maintain my old goals.
Room to grow
In my garden I spend time evaluating the growth of the plants. Some of them are greedy and begin taking up the entire planter. At that point I need to decide if I need to split some plants up and give them more room to grow. There are considerations to this. Which plants can take a repotting? Do I have enough pots? Can it share a pot with another plant that also needs more room? Do I have the right soil? Will the plant survive a few rounds with the neighborhood squirrels? Will my husband start to notice that we are running out of space on the deck?
I believe that we too, can outgrow our pots. I have spent a lot of my career sharing new pots. Migrating to new groups as my team gets reorganized. Taking advantage of opportunities as they present themselves but not really choosing a pot of my own. I reinvent myself as the need arises. It is a skill that I have gotten good at over the years. It is one of my best talents. Most of the time the new pot fits well and seems to make sense. Like planting smaller flowers around a central larger flower. I don’t mind being a supporting smaller flower. However, when I think about what retirement looks like, that’s when I believe I will finally have a pot of my own that I can grow into the larger central flower. I’d like to think the pot will be painted with tiny pink flowers on the side.
Water daily as needed
Every plant needs water to grow. The trick is to not water too much or too little. Too much and the leaves turn yellow and mushy. Too little and the leaves turn brown and fall off. We need to tend to ourselves daily as well. We need to be nourished daily, in mind, body and spirit. Forcing yourself to take that time is important. Without it we will begin to wither.
At one point a couple of years ago. I found myself focusing on work so much I was making myself ill. I had gained so much weight my doc told me if I didn’t do something soon, I wouldn’t live another 10 years. A few weeks later I went to my manager and told him that I needed more flexible hours. I needed to take some time to get my health back in line. So that is what I did. For a year and a half, I focused primarily on my health. I lost 80 lbs. I got off some of my meds. My high blood pressure was gone, and I was regularly walking 3.5 miles 6 days a week. It also improved my marriage. I hadn’t realized that I was spending so much time focusing on work that I was neglecting our relationship. Our walks everyday brought us back together. No phones are allowed on our walks. Just spending time together. When we skip our walks for whatever reason we both feel a hole in our day. It’s important to take care of you.
During this pandemic getting the time to nourish myself daily has gotten harder. There are fewer boundaries in a work from home environment. It is harder to get away for those walks. The refrigerator is too close in proximity. I am finding my way back though. I am rediscovering music, gardening, walking, friendships, and me.
How does your garden grow? I would love to hear how you recharge and make time for your growth.
For those following my garden adventures: Here are some side by sides from this year:
Maka Knows 
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