A Love Letter to Gardening and Life's Cycles

In the gentle embrace of gardening, I find a profound connection to life itself. Each time I dig my hands into the earth, I am not just planting seeds but also cultivating resilience and surrendering to forces beyond my control. Gardening is a metaphor-rich practice that teaches me to trust time and life, echoing Derek Jarman's sentiment that a gardener operates in a timeless realm. Debbie Millman's 'Love Letter to a Garden' begins with the idea of a seed as a singularity, a compact beginning that mirrors the interconnectedness of the universe, as John Muir observed.

My journey through life is punctuated by seeds and flowers, marking moments of change, uncertainty, and growth. From the seeds in an apple my grandmother showed me to the flowers that symbolize life's chapters, I learn the difference between signs and omens. A poignant moment occurs when I see peonies replaced by plastic flowers, illustrating the artifice and reality of time and change.

Through heartbreak and healing, I create a small garden, nurturing it with devotion. As I fall in love again and move to California, I find solace in growing vegetables and watching life unfold during the pandemic. Traveling to diverse landscapes, I connect with nature's wonders, from Ireland's moss to Japan's lotus, and return to my garden for perspective.

Gardening teaches me patience and perspective, showing me how to befriend time. I learn to accept the inevitable cycle of life and death, confronting my fear of failure and embracing the abyss between ego and the universe. Ultimately, my love letter to gardening is a reminder to plant a garden in the abyss and trust in the passage of time.