By Erin K. Robison, M.Ed., LPC
“I work on the farm so that I can have a profitable business.”
I come by my love for plants very honestly. My Pop Pop had a container garden lining the walk to his front door. The succulents and cacti were the only things that could thrive in the Texas sun. They loved it – me, not so much. It felt scraggly and unkempt. But, today I cherish and care for the 30 year old Kalanchoe offspring that came from those pots. He grew passion vines on the chain link fence and delighted in telling us the story about the Passion of Christ when they bloomed. He had a giant, overgrown garden in the back that once held veggies and geese when I was a very little girl. I have the picture to prove it.
On my dad’s side, my Grandma had a greenhouse I was, quite frankly, both in awe of and a little creeped out by. It was full of all kinds of plants and humidity and the fountain we called “Andy”. As a little girl, I would sit with her at the kitchen table while she drank her two cups of coffee and smoked her morning cigarettes. I wasn’t allowed to converse until the ritual was finished. But I sat patiently because I knew that soon we would look through the big glass doors out into the garden sanctuary and count the Cardinals, Blue Jays and squirrels that made her yard their home. Grandma taught me the song of the Cardinal that I continue to whistle today.
And, so, for years I have trial and errored my way through growing living things. In what can only be described as having a “bruised” thumb, I have spent much effort to grow many different things and found that as many die, as thrive. I’ve taken classes, had indoor plants and apartment container gardens, procured a library of books, pinned too many posts to count and spent countless hours wandering the garden section of any store I can find. My husband said recently that if I go missing he has only to look at Hobby Lobby or the nursery. Humph! He might be right.
Even when I was at my poorest, I would use a tiny bit of money left at the end of the month to buy a plant. Now, I have a bigger budget and more plants.
After all the years of practice, today I have two vegetable gardens, an herb garden, a house full of greenery and an ever-growing landscaped yard. Yesterday, I spent 10 hours in the yard potting plants and building trellises for what I hope will be a booming cucumber and tomato crop! And for the first time in all these years I said the words aloud: “I may not be so good at it, but I’ve decided gardening is one of my hobbies”.
For a little girl who quit soccer because it was “too hot and sweaty”, I am thrilled to spend my days sweating and stretching and straining and itching in the yard. The reason is what I’ve known all these years: it is good for my soul. It makes me happy. I think my heart senses the Creator in the green and pink and red and yellow and oranges of creation. I find a serenity that cannot be explained and longs to be exalted. A joy that comes from the inside and bursts out of my face like sunbeams. At the end of the day, I go outside and look around at the Lord’s creation and the small part I had in arranging it and know that it is good.
Just today my friend put this kind of care into words. She is a professional who has opted to spend one business day a week as a farm hand on a local property. She does all the grunt work of lifting and digging, watering and planting. And she loves it. She said, “I could make the same income with one client appointment as I do on an entire day at the farm. But, I’ve realized that it is this life-giving work that allows me to have a profitable business.”
The truth is, if you don’t replenish your mind and body and soul, you have nothing to give to anyone else. Jesus said, “Love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, your whole mind and your whole soul. This is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it; love your neighbor as yourself. All of the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40 (paraphrased)
So, I garden. And He fills my soul. He reminds me who He is and what He has done for me. And He fills me with what I need to return the favor.
What about you? How do you tend?
Warmly,
Erin
Erin is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Life Coach and Speaker with a flourishing practice in Cypress, Texas. If you would like to connect with Erin, you can email her at Erin@erinkrobison.com or you can find more information at www.ErinKRobison.com.
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