We all know why plants are important. They give us air, feed us, heal us and have allowed us to use them for our every desire. As the modernization of humankind continues to evolve we must look back to the wisdom of life that covers the Earth, and not the ones who walk on two legs. 

It was an early Sunday morning and everyone was home. Eagerly I ran out the door with my sister trailing behind me to check if our fairy house had any visitors overnight. “Look!” I exclaimed. “One of the raisins is gone” as I counted each one over and over again. We were sure that was the night they decided to move in. I could feel it. Our house was of great detail and any fairy would love it. It was nestled in the corner of our mom’s garden. Right beneath the protection of a giant sunflower and tucked behind some lavender, we knew it was the perfect spot. 

As the fairies appeared to come and go, the garden continued to grow. It fed us and left me with something I haven’t realized until this day. “Breakfast time” mom yelled out the window. The smell of pancakes led us up the stairs and straight to our chairs. With faces covered in syrup and Sunday morning cartoons playing in the background, everything was well. After breakfast mom went to work in the garden. She would spend hours nurturing and tending to each plant. We weren’t much help as it seemed making mud pies and chasing our brother was of far greater importance. With the Earth beneath our bare feet, we too were growing. 

Years have passed and our fairy house is now just a vision. The plants in my mom’s garden have come and gone but her heart hasn’t stopped growing. So when I think about plants and why they are important, I realized they connect me to my mom and to the mother in which we all return. As she cared for the plants the Earth cared for us and created the foundation for my family. We lived simply and learned from the seasons. A different harvest, a new challenge, small beginnings, eternal growth and connection to all. 

The garden brought forth strong roots to my being. I know where I stand, where I come from and those who have brought me up. As the plants grew, so did I. Soon I will bear fruit of my own just as we are all destined to do. I am now growing my own garden with the knowledge my mother has passed down to me. Just as the seasons bring change to the plants I must remember change is a part of nature. Within the change you are free. No structure to bind your mind, just room to grow. 

It is in the moments of silence when I am reminded of the days of our fairy house. The freedom we felt, where did it go? Does a maturing tree stop growing because it is no longer free? Perhaps growth cannot be measured by the size of our success, but rather the seasons of the soul. When a tree is cut down its rings appear and a glimpse of wisdom is revealed. It too was once just a seed and one day will return to the Earth. It’s all fleeting, so what will you grow?