I grew up in an apartment outside New York City. I didn’t have a backyard, green grass, window boxes, or even trees to hang a swing. I dreamt of the day I would leave the city and have a home in the suburbs. The dream did come true and every day I’m thankful. Some people can’t live without the hustle and bustle of city living, but me…I savor waking up to chirping birds, sip coffee watching hummingbirds float among vibrant flowers, and read a book under the shade of a giant maple listening to the rustling of its leaves. Over the years, I have proudly become a gardener. I relish learning about native species, fancy going to my local nursery to add new flowers to our beds, and treasure the quiet moments I spend tending and cultivating my garden.
Last summer during the pandemic, my mother gifted me, The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature. I think she was trying to lift my spirits as I had been suffering from sciatica from a hernitated disc. Summer didn’t turn out as expected and I spent most of my days painfully immobile. However, this book simply rejuvenated me. I made my way out into the shaded streets for short strolls-I couldn’t even call them walks, really, but shuffling of my feet. Yet, forcing myself outdoors a few times a day for meager intervals began to lift my spirits, providing a sense of calm and peace with my physical situation. Mentally, I got stronger and thus began challenging my body and it responded. Strolls turned into walks which turned into longer ones. While my pace was somewhat embarrasing, I felt like I was making progress and healing.
Months later, I was infact healed. However, the three months of daily pain made me reflect on how I got to this stage in the first place. “Our emotional lives are complex and need constant tending and reworking. The form this takes will be different for each one of us, but fundamentally, in order to counteract nagative and seld-destructive forces, we need to cultivate a caring and creative attitude. Above all, we need to recognize what nourishes us” (35). I had not been tending to myself. Typically, I was last on my list, putting everyone and everything else before my own needs…until my body gave in. Then I had no choice but to stop and listen and think and make changes.
Nature is beautiful; she is forgiving. Slowly, I began to forgive myself for neglecting my physical and emotional wellbeing. I started anew. I didn’t apologize for scheduling a personal trainer, I didn’t make excuses for getting on my Peloton, I didn’t cringe when I bought organic fruits and vegatables, and I enthusatically made time in my day to simply rest. And every day, I put on my sneakers and walk under the shaded trees, down by the pond in my neighborhood, giving thanks for Nature’s splendor that gives me peace and good health.
the Essentialist Family 