1. Sometimes the thing you think is over isn't really over.
2. Unexpected obstacles can be beautiful and even delicious.
3. There is a time to give up.
So...I guess there's no point continuing to water this right? #gardeningfail
And that's okay! Sometimes the letting go of the thing is the lesson you have to learn from the thing itself.
4. Sometimes things work out, sometimes they fail. Both experiences are worth it.
My homegrown celery is hanging it's head in shame. No stalk is wider than a pencil. #gardeningfail #gardenchat
There is nothing quite like spending months and months trying to grow something only to have it stolen just before its prime by a squirrel with a vendetta. Giving up control when something fails and starting over, or even just tolerating the process of failure is a really important thing. To fail you have to take a risk. To fail you have to try. Trying is meaningful.
5. Priorities are hard.
"As your garden grows so does your love for it" except when we go on holiday and forget about it. #gardeningfail
Balance can be even harder. Trying to make time for the things that you need to feel safe, happy and taken care of is really important.
6. Success looks different on everyone.
7. Even poop has a job to do.
Sometimes you're really ~in it~ and everything is kind of terrible. In these moments, you can remember that poop helps the plants grow, and being in the shit can help you grow, too. (It can also make your safari experience far more exciting.)
8. Getting dirty is part of it.
Keeping your plants happy and healthy is rewarding. But there's also real beauty in the moment when there's soil under your nails, all over your face, on the kitchen floor and tracked all over the house. Making a mess (and arguably being a mess) can be really, really fun.
9. There is power in silence.
10. You never know how deep the roots go, so be gentle.
11. Your enemies don't always fight fair.
A squirrel might take a huge bite of the tomato you were going to pick tomorrow. A deer might eat your entire yard. Your landlord might throw away the basil you were trying to grow on your fire escape.
It's hard to know when the thing you're up against will attack. It's unfair and hard to accept (not to mention frustrating and expensive) but those moments when you lose can show you how much you care. Caring is risky, but it shows how high the stakes are.
12. Giving feels good.
13. Beauty is more diverse than you can even imagine.
Each and every plant evolved over time to be its own little unique self. Whether it has thorns or flowers, if it's a reedy grass or a sturdy weed, each plant brings its own value to the ecosystem. So when you're heading into a self-criticism spiral, remember that what you bring to the world is of unique value because *you* bring it. You sexy little flower beast.
14. You don't have to go it alone.
15. Reach for the light when you can find it.
16. Small growth is still growth.
Thumbnail image: Thinkstock / Monique Bartley