Reflecting on Change

This month we welcome the glorious change from winter to spring. I once heard it said that the only thing in life we can be certain of is that all things will change. What profound truth this simple statement holds. We all experience a plethora of changes daily and throughout our lives. A new job opportunity, the birth of a child, and retirement are generally changes worth celebrating, while the loss of a loved one, physical ailments, and the ending of relationships are changes that often require some healing work.

 As we come upon the seasonal transition into spring this month, I invite you to become more cognizant of change as a natural rhythm in our world, and explore ways you can partner with this change. One of the best ways to do this is to spend some time in your garden (or in nature if you do not have a garden) and notice how nature typically yields to change naturally and effortlessly. Just as surely as night turns to day, the snow will melt and the sun will again warm the landscape, inviting seeds hidden under the surface of the soil to wake from their dormancy. What once withered and faded now springs back into life.

 Gardening offers us a chance to actively (and if done with intention, positively) participate in the change occurring around us. So, in addition to spending time in your garden observing change happen, I encourage you to put your hands in the soil and grow something, anything. Be part of the change; enjoy the change.

 For those of you who want to take this a step further, I challenge you to take a look at your yard, your apartment balcony, or even the window of your most used room, and see what can (and maybe even needs to) change this season. Can you remove half of your lawn in service of the native pollinators who would love to see more than a sterile landscape? Can you begin an herb garden on your porch and utilize what you reap in your cooking (and maybe even share with the neighbors?) Can you put a plant on your window sill that will help purify the air in that space? Big or small, what can you do to create positive change for yourself and the community, including the plants and animals, with whom you live this spring?

 Let us all embrace the changes to come this season by noticing and contemplating change, as well as participating in creating positive change. I have learned so many life lessons sitting among the plants. I have also healed from many unwanted life changes with the help of these allies. How amazing it is that this can all be done in the garden! What a wonderful place to be. I hope that you will share your experiences with change in the garden this year, and encourage others to do the same. Plant that seed and see what grows!