Money is tight... and getting tighter. Relationships are strained. Nerves are fried. There is a persistent, pit-of-the-stomach tension that fills the air like fog. Make a small but meaningful investment. Buy some seeds.
Whether they are 1 acre or 1 pot... gardens fulfill the promise of bounty. Your work will be rewarded. Your time will be well spent. Your investment will bear fruit... literally. This sort of return cannot be guaranteed by the stock market, your retirement account, or your home equity.
When you feel insecure and on shaky ground, plant the garden. Dig into the ground and ground yourself. When your mind is plagued by doubts and worries, weed the garden. Every weed pulled will take a bad thought with it. When you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, tend your garden. Pruning the suckers and training the vines get you one step closer to the harvest, one step closer to better times. As your garden grows so will your sense of well-being. There are other benefits to be sure: healthy and inexpensive food; great exercise; lower blood pressure.
Obviously, gardens aren't the solution to every problem but they help. Too often times like these leave us broken, lost, crawling into bottles, numbing ourselves in front of screens, or distancing ourselves from loved ones. Gardens give us purpose. They give us hope. They give us the joy of anticipation versus the gloom of foreboding. They give us an opportunity to escape without being destructive or "wasting time." They give us the chance to get dirty and laugh with our friends and family.
If you've never done it before you can start small. A pot, some soil, a few seeds... soon you could be cutting beautiful daisies, snipping delicious basil, picking succulent tomatoes, and smiling. We could all use more reasons to smile.
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