I’ve got a 4×4 raised bed in my front yard that is teeming with life. We are growing onions, beets, carrots, cucumber, zucchini, and some beautiful marigolds. This little 4×4 is exploding with growth. I tend to it each day and marvel at how much can happen in such a small space.
I water it. Pick the weeds. Help the cucumber to grow up a trellis. Keep the critters and bugs away. I even built the wooden bed myself. And it grows and grows.
Caring for this little garden has made me reflect on what we need to thrive. What’s the difference between getting by and being able to grow fully into our best selves?
We don’t need much. The basics. Nourishment comes in so many forms – water, food, warmth, love, intellectual stimulation, laughter, art and creativity, music, physical touch. We can grow so much with some very simple things.
But there’s more to it than that. We all need someone to care. To tend to us. To watch us grow and thrive. You can survive without it. But we’re not taking about survival. We’re talking about the difference some compassion, community, and care can make to becoming our best selves. To shining as brightly as we are meant to. And giving care to others is just as nourishing as receiving it ourselves.
Who’s tending to you? And who are you tending to in return? Together we can help each other thrive.
