In a world filled with text messages, emojis, apps, social media and endless selfies, connecting outside with nature or things beyond the screen has become a rarity. This summer, I have had the pleasure of learning from my mother the skills of gardening. She grew up on a farm and learned everything she knows about growing from my late grandfather. She started planting seeds before I came home for summer break. My mother planted a variety of vegetables, such as onions, green peppers, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, sweet corn, cabbage, carrots, squash, green beans, peas and more.
When my mother and I would go out to the garden, she would try to give me tips about gardening. To be honest, I wasn't exactly thrilled about it. I'm not exactly a nature person, and I didn't have gardening on my bucket list. She would tell me stories about her and my grandpa working in a garden. After a while, I realized that I should appreciate moments like this. I won't always be around my mother, and my mother won't always be around to teach and tell me these things.
I believe gardening is an important skill that everyone our age should learn. Having exposure to at least some sort of gardening is an essential asset for survival. As a society, we are privileged to have grocery stores and supermarkets with all the foods we could ever want or possibly need. However, I think it can be even more rewarding and healthier to grow food in your own backyard. The food that we've collected from our garden is basically organic. There has been no chemicals sprayed on them and everything has grown naturally. The vegetables tasted just as good as coming from the store and are probably better for you, considering there were no chemicals or pesticides on them. Also, I came to enjoy walking out to the garden and seeing the progress of all the different plants. It wasn't overnight but eventually, little sprouts started to emerge from the ground. Having a garden, I believe, also teaches patience. It's not like going directly to a store and getting whatever you want from the produce section. With a garden, however, if you wait long enough and you take care of it, you will reap what you sow.
It can be therapeutic. Sometimes, it can be good for the soul to just leave the electronics for a few minutes and to get outside in nature. It doesn't hurt you every now and then to get in the dirt. Not to mention, it doesn't hurt anyone and can lift your spirit to get some extra sunshine. I find myself more at peace outside then I do always trapping myself in a room filled with four walls. Wide open spaces are where my thoughts don't close in, but where I feel free and see there's more going on in life than just me. To see all of the things around me growing, producing life and emerging from the ground up can be almost metaphorical to life itself. We may start at the bottom, but with time we can grow into the thing or person we're truly meant to be.
