By Neal Lemery
This week has been full of projects, and I’m finding myself moving from one to the other, barely getting some things done and starting something else that needs to get done. Perhaps the return of the rain has spurred me on to tackle the “to do” list and find new things that compel action.
I found myself working on repotting and freshening my houseplants. I bought new pots, new soil specifically mixed for houseplants, and got to work. The potting soil I’d been using was heavy, and the roots were sodden. My plants were drowning and developing root rot, despite a challenging summer of hot, dry weather.
Soon, I had a pile of discarded soggy dirt, and fresh pots and new soil. I pruned roots and foliage, adding freshness and giving new hope to old, established plants. The words “reform” and “renewal” came to mind. The new soil has lava rock and perlite, giving the roots drainage and also oxygen. I’ve slowly been learning that plants need dirt and water, but the roots also need exposure to air, especially oxygen, in order to thrive. Scientists would say that well-aerated soil has healthier aerobic bacteria.
Gardening is a form of meditation and prayer for me, connecting me to nature and the cycle of life. I learn a lot when my hands are in the dirt, and I become a nurturer and gardener. Life’s worries have a way of getting resolved when I’ve got my hands dirty. This week, the lessons were all about taking a breath, giving myself space and air to breathe, taking time to let things develop and grow in the light.
These lessons were needed, I realized. I hadn’t been breathing as much as my soul needed these last few weeks. A good friend always reminds me, in times of chaos and stress, to “take a breath”. I’d argue back, saying that I didn’t have time, that I was too busy. But when I did pause to take a breath, the chaos calmed down, and an action plan would develop, and life became manageable.
So it is with my indoor gardening. My plants already look happier, and I’ve perked up too, knowing that there’s more oxygen not just in my garden soil, but in my life as a whole.
I’ve focused that idea of “taking a breath” on my to-do list and the calendar on the refrigerator. Pause, breathe, refocus, and look for what really matters in my day. What is it I can do that’s important, that will make a real difference in my life and the lives of people I love and care about?
Lately, there’s been a lot of conflict and controversy over some important community issues and concerns. And, the national political life has stressed most of us out to a point of being fatigued and fearful. All of these things seem to have taken on a life of their own, to where I feel overwhelmed and sucked dry of my usual sense of compassion and purpose.
“Take a breath.”
We need to breathe together on a community level, and also on a national level. Many good things are going on, and a lot of wonderful projects are underway. Yet, I feel consumed by a nagging sense of urgency and crisis, mixed in with heightened anxiety and near panic. I need to refocus, to “get a grip” as my “take a breath” friend would say. Yes, we are doing great things as a community and as a nation. Deep down, we are good people, and doing good things.
I need to be reminded of that, and we do have the solutions, the answers. We are getting the work done. We do have a grip on our lives, we are taking a breath, and we are moving forward. I just need to pause now and then, and realize that.
I’ve started a new list, of good things that I’m doing, that the community is doing, even what good things are happening across the country. It’s a reminder of the positives in our lives, with being the good gardeners and caretakers that we are. I’m keeping the list next to the calendar, as a reminder of who we are and why we are here, what life is really about.
My plants are figuring that out, finding better soil for their roots to grow, with more oxygen, and with time to be in the sunshine and sprout new leaves. It’s time for me to realize that, too, that I can be a better gardener and to thrive in my place in the sun.
We are “getting a grip” on things, and we are taking a breath. I just need a few moments now and then to realize that.
Books: NEW book – BE THE CHANGE – One Random Act of Kindness at a Time; Neal’s other books include: Building Community: Rural Voices for Hope and Change; Finding My Muse on Main Street, Homegrown Tomatoes, and Mentoring Boys to Men