10/07/2026
My garden is more than a garden.
It is where I come back to myself.
The hardest part is noticing when I actually need it.
I usually feel stress in my body first. In my back. In my hips. I notice that I am gripping, holding on, trying to control something that I may never have had control over in the first place.
It has taken a lot of practice to recognize those moments and say, “Okay. It is time to go outside.”
So I put on my hat, my gardening clogs, and step into this little oasis I have created.
I rarely wear gloves. There is something about putting my hands directly into the soil, feeling the dirt under my nails, touching the leaves, pulling weeds, and planting something new.
It brings me back into my body.
It grounds me. It settles me. It heals me.
And then there are my senses.
The feel of the soil. The smell of the herbs. The sound of the birds. The movement of the leaves. The taste of something I have just picked.
As I often remind my students, “our senses only happen in the present moment.”
Gardening brings me there.
To the NOW.
Gardening strengthens my body, but I think it strengthens my heart, too.
And for me, this is not a luxury.
It is necessary.
