When spring arrives and the robins join each other in a chittering chorus on our lawns and in our parks, it feels like we should join in. The flower buds that protected themselves over the winter are now ready to burst forward into an array of colors and scents.
Where do we fit into all of this? Are we just focused on the day-to-day, or are we allowing ourselves to spring forward as well? If we get caught up in national news cycles, it seems like everything is going to shit—a daily barrage of depressing information coming from liars, cheaters and bullies. They hire the best marketing firms in the world, and force a worldview upon us that keeps us wound up and bound to a dying system.
A focus on local cycles however, like the flow of water, is inspirational and encouraging. The cycle of soil in my garden is now free from frost, freezing and stagnation. Everything wants to flow and feel. The worms, microbes and water molecules engage in a dark dance of life.
It takes a minute to slow down enough to recognize that this vibrant life is happening all around us, but once we’re in it’s hard to get out of this natural connection. When people tell me that they’re feeling depressed or that they don’t have much hope, I suggest that they touch the soil—really touch it.
The proven health benefits of working in the garden make sense: our heart rate slows down when we’re in the soil, the abrasive quality of soil is good for our skin, and the exposure to funguses, viruses and bacteria is good for our immune system. When you think hard enough about it, we come from the soil and are made of everything that grew in the soil or walked upon it. We are a big collection of mobile dirt.
The other day I just sat in my garden listening and observing, wondering what life is about and what we’re all here for. I could hear the water bubbling slightly into the ground, so I closed my eyes to pay attention more deeply. The robins that were hopping around started singing together, playing in a way that brought me right back to my childhood—when another group of robins were singing the same song, welcoming the arrival of spring and celebrating the joy of living.
Go ahead: get dirty! It’s fun.
With love.
–Chris Hewitt