Imagine a radish seed.
January 14, 2022 8:07 AM Subscribe
Winter Is for Regeneration. The Garden’s — and Yours, Too by Jess Housty is the first in a Tyee series of essays on winter’s meaning.
"As I felt darkness around me, I wanted to believe that I was a seed fighting toward light and air.
What saved me was gardening. We transformed an empty lot across from our office into a community garden, building in flower beds and welcoming features that would make it a peaceful space for Heiltsuk spill responders to rest. We began to offer gardening workshops, using the space to build skills for community members around growing their own food. And the rhythms of being out in the fresh air and putting my hands in the soil helped me to process the deep grief of the spill so I could find a pathway toward wellness again.
We knew that growing carrots and onions could never replace the tainted clam beds or the plethora of ocean relatives that were poisoned by the spill. But it gave me a small sense of stability, control and agency over my family’s food security — enough to help pull me through the worst of the mental and spiritual anguish. And I hope it gave that gift to others too."
"As I felt darkness around me, I wanted to believe that I was a seed fighting toward light and air.
What saved me was gardening. We transformed an empty lot across from our office into a community garden, building in flower beds and welcoming features that would make it a peaceful space for Heiltsuk spill responders to rest. We began to offer gardening workshops, using the space to build skills for community members around growing their own food. And the rhythms of being out in the fresh air and putting my hands in the soil helped me to process the deep grief of the spill so I could find a pathway toward wellness again.
We knew that growing carrots and onions could never replace the tainted clam beds or the plethora of ocean relatives that were poisoned by the spill. But it gave me a small sense of stability, control and agency over my family’s food security — enough to help pull me through the worst of the mental and spiritual anguish. And I hope it gave that gift to others too."
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It's not limited to outdoor gardening; indoor plant gardening can be a nice immersive pastime.
Part of their process was to heal by building community connections, plus, the obvious benefit of being outdoors.
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posted by mightshould at 10:50 AM on January 14, 2022 [2 favorites]