3 Reasons Every Black Mom Should Garden,
I love my garden. Â Next to my family, it's probably the second greatest love of my life. Â When I'm alone in my garden I feel most at home outside of my own crazy mind. Â There is a peacefulness on the inside and a connection to God that I feel when my hands are deep in dirt that surpasses even my own understanding. Â I remember when I was about 16, my elderly next door neighbor and I would sit on her porch and watch the trees blow in the wind. Â She would always say they spoke to her. Â I didn't understand that back then, but I do now. Â Black women have a very special connection with things that grow genuinely and organically from this beautiful planet we live on. Â Here's why I think every brown mama should rekindle her connection with the original mama through gardening.
1. Mother Nature is Our First Teacher
I say this often, but Black women are the original of the original mothers. Â We were the first mothers of this Earth, so we should be tight with our first sistah. Â Getting to know mother nature is like getting to know yourself. Â Watching the plants in your garden sprout from seed to bush, mound or flower has taught me a ton about human expression, overcoming the struggles of life and commitment.
A flower doesn't just grow. Â It pushes through the dirt as a seed, stretches to reach for the sun and in its greatest attempt to express gratitude for the Earth's provision of sun and water, it buds a flower.
Wow! If you can't see yourself in that, if you can't empathize and learn from that, child you ain't gonna learn from nothing. Â The small things of the Earth are here to teach you how to live in this life. Â Here's a pick of my lil' teacher garden.
2. As Oprah says, don't just live well, Eat Well
One of my favorite audio books is Oprah's "Things I Know for Sure." Â I was elated to share a moment with her when she spoke about eating peaches from the trees in her garden. Â I remember eating the first fruits (and vegetables) from my garden last year. Â I remember, how accomplished it made me feel and the slightly crisp and wet taste of the first cucumber I'd eaten from the labor of my own hands. Â It completely transformed my idea about good eating. Â Eating well is not about how many steaks you can rack up at Ruth's Chris, it's about consuming what is well, not only for your body, but for your soul. Â Sure I'm happy that in the summer I can make fresh salads for my husband and children. Â But, even more replenishing to my spirit is the feeling of knowing that I'm feeding myself the best my labor and soul has to offer.
3. Get a Good Sweat In
I've never sweated as much as I have this summer. Â My family and I are erecting a community garden in our neighborhood. Â At least twice a week, I find myself drenched in sweat after raking leaves, putting down mulch, moving rocks and planting flowers. Â It's a lot of work, but my waist line has never looked so great. Â I've kept by round booty (which always makes me and hubby happy) and slimmed down just enough to make my curves more pronounced. Â Plus, the kiss your skin gets from sun after 2 hours working in it, is priceless. Â Some say milk does a body good, I say gardening does a body even better.
Those are just a few of the reasons I garden. Â Do you garden? Â Why do you do it?
Read More About Gardening:
Essential Tools for Gardening Newbies
How to Pot Your First Houseplant