Finding Peace Among the Flowers

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a sensitive soul. I wear my heart on my sleeve and can be affected deeply by what’s happening around me. My mind is restless, and it is often challenging to quiet it. I have dubbed myself a worry expert and never lack for something that causes me concern, whether it be what’s happening in the world around me or within my own home. It has been a tumultuous few years on the world stage, with wars, violence, climate disasters, and political divisions headlining the news daily.  At home, my only child will leave for college in less than a year, and I have been struggling to come to grips with this upcoming change. It just won’t be the same without him in our daily lives. Through all this, I need to find an outlet to quiet my mind for my mental well-being. Luckily, I found this place among the flowers.

I’m so grateful for flowers- for how they make us feel and for how they connect us to nature, the seasons, and each other. Flowers bring happiness and hope (and whistling bees and butterflies along the way). When I am with the flowers, I can focus solely on them, removing everything from my mind. They provide an anchor to the present moment.

When anxious about the world, I walk the garden rows and marvel at how a seed I planted a few weeks earlier is now a beautiful bloom. I stop and close my eyes as I breathe in the floral fragrances and earthy scent of the soil, listening to the birds singing and the bees buzzing. I watch pollinators zip to and fro from flower to flower, and I am transported into their world and out of my own. While watching a spider build a web in the marigolds, I comprehend that her whole world exists in those flowers in my garden. The importance of creating and stewarding this world for her is not lost on me. These moments of quiet reflection and calm the flowers afford me are invaluable.

While growing and being in the garden has brought me much comfort and solace, it can also be isolating. I welcome this isolation at times, but farming can be a lonely job. The long hours working alone can cause a feeling of disconnect that can become overwhelming. Growers often need to find a healthy balance between how much isolation and connectivity they have in their lives. Mental well-being can sometimes feel like a balancing act.

But what is a garden if not a lesson in resilience? Through growing, we learn patience and creativity, mindfulness, emotional regulation, the importance of connection, flexibility and adaptation, and acceptance of change. My garden is helping me learn to welcome what life brings and to have the grace to let go. I’m learning to be kind to myself and allow myself to feel what I need to feel.

I’m thankful I have flowers. By growing and sharing them, I am gifted with the connection to nature and community that I require. Flowers offer me a respite when the world’s woes weigh heavily on me and provide a conduit to community connection when I’m feeling isolated. They bring me peace and joy whenever I need it most and teach me valuable life lessons. Most importantly, they are helping me learn to accept change. So, yes, I’m forever grateful for flowers. I hope you can also find peace among the flowers if you ever feel overwhelmed. And please remember to be kind to yourself.