July 22nd 2023

What we require

This week we checked some beans we’d planted last week with the corn planter. I wanted to make sure the spacing was satisfactory as we’d been making some adjustments to the settings on our equipment. We noticed a few bare sections where the soil had been low and the beans hadn’t been buried and instead they sat on top of the soil. We scanned the rows and covered them up. Some of them had already germinated and were clinging to the earth by a thread of a root. Some days I feel like a sprouting bean, with a fragile connection. As if I might break when I’m disrupted, get crushed by an inattentive footfall or simply wither in the glaring sun. So I find myself wondering what we require to grow. What emulates the cool, close, security of soil tucked around our delicate edges? Where do we drink from? When will we emerge into the light unhindered, and instead of shriveling, finding ourselves stretching upward? What does the human spirit need to be healthy? I’m sure it’s different for everyone. More than anything lately I find myself searching for connection. I want to support and listen and celebrate people, and I want them to do the same for me. I am also trying to stay grounded and find more confidence in myself and learn to appreciate solitude. And it gives me great joy that my life has meaning. The work that I do, and the person that I am, has made a difference. While on some days this feels a bit daunting on many other days it pushes me. I stretch up toward the sun and I grow just a little more. Maybe your spirit requires something different, maybe these aren’t universal, maybe there are a lot more then three elements for growth. Whatever you find that you require, lean into it. Growth is an invitation to each of us everyday. Feel the sun on your skin, and bask in it.